Rhodococcus sovatensis sp nov., an actinomycete isolated from the hypersaline and heliothermal Lake Ursu

A Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic, mesophilic bacterium, designated H004(T), was isolated from a water sample of the hypersaline and heliothermal Lake Ursu, Sovata, Romania. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain H004(T) formed a distinct phyletic lineage within the genus Rhodococcus. It shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Rhodococcus yunnanensis YIM 70056(T) (98.80 %), followed by Rhodococcus fascians LMG 3623(T) (98.73 %), Rhodococcus cercidiphylli YIM 65003(T) (98.73 %), Rhodococcus cerastii C5(T) (98.58 %) and Rhodococcus kyotonensis DS472(T) (98.53 %). The alkB-based phylogenetic analysis further confirmed that this strain constitutes a highly unique lineage within the genus. Chemotaxonomic characteristics, including the predominant fatty acids acids C-15 : 0, C-18 :(1)omega(9)c, C-19 : (1)omega 11c/ C-19 : (1)omega 9c and C-16 : (1)omega 7c/ iso-C-15 : (0) 2-OH, the major quinone MK-8(H2), the presence of mycolic acids and cell-wall chemotype IV were also consistent with the properties of members of the genus Rhodococcus. The DNA G+C content of strain H004(T) was 65.4 mol%. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization analyses with the closest relatives, in combination with the alkB-based phylogenetic analysis, as well as the chemotaxonomic and physiological data, demonstrated that isolate H004(T) represents a novel species of the genus Rhodococcus, for which the name Rhodococcus sovatensissp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is H004(T) (= DSM 102881(T)=NCAIM B. 02632(T)).