Mesoaciditoga lauensis gen. nov., sp nov., a moderately thermoacidophilic member of the order Thermotogales from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent

A novel moderately thermophilic, heterotrophic bacterium was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent deposit from the Mariner field along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center of the south-western Pacific Ocean. Cells were short motile rods (about 0.4x0.8 mu m) that occurred singly or in pairs and were surrounded by a sheath-like membrane or 'toga'. The cells grew between 45 and 65 degrees C (optimum 57-60 degrees C) and at pH 4.1-6.0 (optimum pH 5.5-5.7) and grew optimally at 3% (w/v) NaCl. The isolate grew on a range of carbon and proteinaceous substrates and reduced sulfur. The G+C content of the DNA was about 45 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence placed the new isolate as a deeply diverging lineage within the order Thermotogales. Based on the physiological, morphological and phylogenetic data, the isolate represents a novel species of a new genus with the proposed name Mesoaciditoga lauensis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Mesoaciditoga lauensis is cd-1655R(T) (=DSM 25116(T)=OCM 1212(T)).