Abstract
A novel, hydrocarbon degrading, Gram-negative, obligate aerobe, non-motile, non-sporulating, rod-shaped bacterium designated TBF2/20.2T was isolated from a clean-up facility (biofilter) set up on a hydrocarbon contaminated site in Hungary. It was characterized using a polyphasic approach to determine its taxonomic position. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences indicated that the isolate is affiliated with the genus Olivibacter in the family Sphingobacteriaceae. Its closest relative is Olivibacter ginsengisoli GSoil 060T (93.5%). The pH and temperature ranges for growth were pH 6-9 and 15-42°C, with optimal pH and temperature (for growth) between pH 6.5-7.0 and 30-37°C. The major fatty acids are iso-C15:0 (39.4%), summed feature 4 (iso-C15:0 2-OH and/or C16:1ω7c; 26.0%), iso-C17:0 3-OH (14.5%) and C16:0 (4.5%). Major menaquinone is MK-7; the predominant polar lipid is phosphatidyletanolamine. The DNA G+C content is 41.2 mol%. Physiological and chemotaxonomic data further confirmed the distinctiveness of strain TBF2/20.2T from other members of the genus Olivibacter. Thus, strain TBF2/20.2T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Olivibacter, for which the name Olivibacter oleidegradans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TBF2/20.2T (= NCAIM B 02393T =CCM 7765T).