Pedobacter caeni sp nov., a novel species isolated from a nitrifying inoculum

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium was isolated from a nitrifying inoculum. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, LMG 22862(T) was shown to belong to the family Sphingobacteriaceae, related to Pedobacter africanus (98.0%) and Pedobacter heparinus (97.6%). The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization, SDS-PAGE, analysis of the fatty acid composition and physiological and biochemical tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of LMG 22862(T) from Pedobacter species with validly published names. LMG 22862(T) therefore represents a novel species within this genus, for which the name Pedobacter caeni sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain LMG 22862(T) (= DSM 16990(T)).