Altererythrobacter gangjinensis sp nov., a marine bacterium isolated from a tidal flat

A Gram-stain-negative, ochre-pigmented, strictly aerobic bacterium, designated strain KJ7(T), was isolated from a tidal flat of the Gangjin bay in South Korea. Cells were halotolerant, non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive rods. Growth of strain KJ7(T) was observed at 5-35 degrees C (optimum, 25 degrees C), at pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, pH 6.5-7.0) and in the presence of 0-9% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2%). The major cellular fatty acids were C-18:1 omega 7c(1) C-17:1 omega 6C(1) summed feature 3 (comprising C-16:1 omega 7c and/or C-16:1 omega 6c) and C-16:0. The polar lipid pattern indicated the presence of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, a sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 60.2 +/- 0.9 mol% and the predominant respiratory quinone was Q-10. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain KJ7(T) formed a phyletic lineage distinct from other members of the genus Altererythrobacter and was most closely related to Aftererythrobacter luteolus SW-109(T) and Aftererythrobacter namhicola KYW48(T) (95.6 and 95.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively). On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular features, strain KJ7(T) represents a novel species of the genus Altererythrobacter, for which the name Altererythrobacter gangjinensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KJ7(T) (=KACC 16190(T)=JCM 17802(T)).