Oceanicella actignis gen. nov., sp nov., a halophilic slightly thermophilic member of the Alphaproteobacteria

Two isolates, designated PRQ-67(T) and PRQ-68, with an optimum growth temperature of about 50 degrees C, growth range in medium containing between 1 and 9% NaCl and an optimum pH for growth between 7.5 and 8.0, were recovered from a shallow marine hot spring on a beach, Praia do Fogo, at Ribeira Quente, on the Island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. Comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences show these strains to be most closely related (93.1-94.7% similarity) to species of the genus Amaricoccus, within the family Rhodobacteraceae. Strains are non-pigmented and form non-motile pleomorphic cells that stain Gram-negative, are aerobic, oxidase and catalase positive. The major fatty acids are C-18:1 omega 7c and C-18:1 omega 7c 11-methyl. Ubiquinone 10 is the major respiratory quinone. Major polar lipids are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol and one aminolipid. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, physiological and biochemical characteristics we describe a new species of a novel genus represented by strain PRQ-67(T) (=DSM 22673(T) = LMG 25334(T)) for which we propose the name Oceanicella actignis. (c) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.