Paenibacillus psychroresistens sp. nov., isolated from the soil of an Arctic glacial retreat

Strain ML311-T8(T) was isolated from a glacial retreat area in Svalbard, Norway, and was taxonomically characterized by a polyphasic approach. Upon phylogenetic analysis, strain ML311-T8(T) was clustered with Paenibacillus arcticus MME2_R6(T) and P. contaminans CKOBP-6(T) with 98.3-98.6 and 93.5-93.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain ML311-T8(T) and P. arcticus MME2_R6(T) was 19.9%. The genomic DNA G+C content was 41.1 mol%. The isolated strain was Gram-stain-positive, strictly aerobic and rod-shaped, and grew in 0-0.5% (w/v) NaCl, at 4-23 degrees C and pH 6.0-10.0, with optimal growth in 0% (w/v) NaCl, at 20 degrees C and pH 7.0-8.0. The predominant respiratory quinone of strain ML311-T8(T) was MK-7 and the major fatty acids were anteiso-C-15:0 and C-16:0. The polar lipids of strain ML311-T8(T) were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified amino lipids, and three unidentified lipids. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic analysis, the strain ML311-T8(T) is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus psychroresistens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ML311-T8(T) (= KCCM 43190(T) = JCM 31243(T)).