Polygonibacillus indicireducens gen. nov., sp. nov., an indigo-reducing and obligate alkaliphile isolated from indigo fermentation liquor for dyeing

Obligately alkaliphilic and halophilic strains, designated In2-9(T) and D2-7, were isolated from a fermented Polygonum indigo (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.) liquor sample obtained from a craft centre in Date City, Hokkaido, Japan. The 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogeny suggested that strain In2-9(T) is a member of the genus Bacillus with the closest relatives being the alkaliphilic species of the genus Bacillus, Bacillus hemicellulosilyticusJCM 9152(T) (96.4% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and Bacillus alcalophilus DSM 485(T) (96.5 %). Cells of the isolate stained Gram-positive and were facultatively anaerobic straight rods that were motile by peritrichous flagella. Strain In2-9(T) grew between 13 and 45 degrees C with optimum growth at approximately 35-37 degrees C. The isolates grew in the pH range of 8-12 with optimum growth at pH 10. The isoprenoid quinone detected was menaquinone-6 (MK-6) and the DNA G+C content was 39.4 mol%. The whole-cell fatty acid profile mainly (> 10 %) consisted of iso-C-15 : 0, anteiso-C-15 : 0 and C-16 : 0. Spore shape and location and chemotaxonomic characteristics revealed that the isolates were distinctly different from phylogenetic neighbouring alkaliphilic species of the genus Bacillus. On the basis of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and phylogenetic data, the isolates represent a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Polygonibacillus indicireducens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is In2-9(T) (= JCM 30831(T) = NCIMB 14982(T)), and strain D2-7 is an additional strain of the species.