Acetobacter suratthanensis sp nov., an acetic acid bacterium isolated in Thailand

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, and non-motile bacterium, designated as AI32(T), was isolated from a fruit in Surat Thani, the southern district of Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, 16S-23S rRNA gene ITS, and groEL gene sequences showed that the isolate formed a quite independent cluster located outside the clusters of Acetobacter peroxydans and Acetobacter papayae. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the isolate was related to the type strains of A. peroxydans and A. papayae, respectively, with 99.4 % and 99.3 % similarities. The DNA G + C content of the isolate was 59.6 mol%. The isolate was positive in catalase test and showed no growth on ethanol in the presence of ammonium sulfate. The isolate produced only d-gluconic acid from d-glucose. The predominant fatty acid of isolate AI32(T) was C-18:1 omega 7C. Based on the results obtained in physiological and biochemical tests and in genotypic differences between the isolate and the type strains of the validly named species of the genus Acetobacter, the isolate is classified as a novel species, for which the name of Acetobacter suratthanensis sp. nov. is introduced. The type strain of the species is AI32(T) (= BCC 26087(T) = NBRC 111399(T)).