Microvirga roseola sp. nov. and Microvirga lenta sp. nov., isolated from Taklamakan Desert soil

Two Gram- negative, rod- shaped, non- spore- forming bacteria, designated SM9T and SM2T, were isolated from Taklamakan Desert soil samples. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains SM9T and SM2T had the highest sequence similarity to the type strains Microvirga indica BCRC 80972T and Microvirga soli NBRC 112417T with similarity values of 98.2 and 97.7 %, respectively, and Microvirga was among the predominant genera in the desert soil. The draft genomes of these two strains were 4.56 Mbp (SM9T) and 5.08 Mbp (SM2T) long with 65.1 mol% (SM9T) and 63.5 mol% (SM2T) G+C content. To adapt to the desert environment, these two strains possessed pathways for the synthesis of stress metabolite trehalose. The major fatty acids (>5 %) included C18: 1 ??9c in SM2T, but C16:0, C18: 0 and C19: 0 cyclo ??8c in SM9T, while the major menaquinone was ubiquinone 10 in both strains. The major polar lipids of SM9T and SM2T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phospholipid. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA???DNA hybridization results further indicated that strains SM9T and SM2T were distinguished from phylogenetically related species and represented two novel species within the genus Microvirga, for which the names Microvirga roseola sp. nov. (type strain SM2T=KCTC 72792T=CGMCC 1.17776T) and Microvirga lenta sp. nov. (type strain SM9T=KCTC 82729T=CCTCC AB 2021131T) are proposed.

Automated summary

Two novel species within the genus Microvirga were isolated from Taklamakan Desert soil samples. These strains possess pathways for the synthesis of stress metabolite trehalose and have characteristics to adapt to the desert environment.