Corticicoccus populi gen. nov., sp nov., a member of the family Staphylococcaceae, isolated from symptomatic bark of Populus x euramericana canker

Two Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile, bacterial strains were isolated from symptomatic bark tissue of Populus x euramericana canker. The isolates were able to grow between 10 and 37 degrees C, at pH 6-10 and with 0-4% (w/v) NaCl, with optimal growth at 28-30 degrees C, pH 7.0-8.0 and with 2% (w/v) NaCl The strains were found to be oxidase and catalase positive. The menaquinone of strain 26D10-3-4(T) was MK-7 and the peptidoglycan type A3 alpha based on L-Lys-Gly3-?Ala. The polar lipid profiles of strain 26D10-3-4(T) showed diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified glycolipids, and the major fatty acids found were anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-15:0, iso-C-17:0 and anteiso-C-17:0. The DNA G+C content was 38.2 mol%. The two novel isolates shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Salinicoccus qingdaonensis ZXM223(T) (95.0 %). Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, these two strains represent a novel species of a new genus of the family Staphylococcaceae; the name Corticicoccus populi gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is 26D10-3-4(T) (=CFCC 12725(T)=KCTC 33575(T)). An additional strain of the species is 9-4-1.