Anaerobranca zavarzinii sp nov., an anaerobic, alkalithermophilic bacterium isolated from Kamchatka thermal fields

A novel obligately anaerobic, alkalithermophilic, chemo-organotrophic bacterium was isolated from a small and very shallow geothermally heated pool at Pushino (Kamchatka, Far East Russia). The bacterium, designated strain JW/VK-KS5Y(T), was a Gram staining negative, Gram type positive rod. The cells were sometimes branched, with a tendency to grow in long chains, and were non-sporulating and non-motile. The shortest observed doubling time was 28 min when the novel strain was grown at 54-60 degrees C in 120 mM sodium carbonate-containing medium at pH(25) degrees C 8.5-9.0. The novel bacterium grew on yeast extract and soytone as sole carbon and energy sources but could also use fumarate, thiosulfate and sulfur as electron acceptors. The DNA G + C content was 32.5 mol%. Based on phylogenetic, DNA-DNA hybridization and phenotypic data, it was concluded that isolate JW/VK-KS5Y(T) (=VKM B-2436(T) = DSM 18970(T)) represents the type strain of a novel species, Anaerobranca zavarzinii sp. nov.