Corynebacterium godavarianum sp nov., isolated from the Godavari river, India

A Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, non-motile bacterium, strain PRD07(T), was isolated from Godavari river, India during the world's largest spiritual and religious mass bathing event 'Kumbh Mela'. Molecular analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis reveals the distinct phylogenetic positioning of strain PRD07(T) within the genus Corynebacterium. The strain demonstrated highest sequence similarity to Corynebacterium imitans DSM 44264(T) (97.9 %), Corynebacterium appendicis DSM 44531(T) (97.1 %) and < 96.7% with all other members of the genus Corynebacterium. The G+C content of PRD07(T) was 68.5 mol% (Tm) and the DNA-DNA hybridization depicts 61.09% genomic relatedness with C. imitans DSM 44264(T). Chemotaxonomic assessment of strain PRD07(T) suggested presence of C-16:0 (31.6 %), C-18:0 (3.5 %) and C-18:1 omega 9c (58.6 %) as the major cellular fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain PRD07(T) were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and glycophospholipid. Differentiating molecular, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain PRD07(T) with its closest relatives necessitated the description of strain PRD07(T) as a novel species of genus Corynebacterium for which the name Corynebacterium godavarianum sp. nov., has been proposed. The type strain is PRD07(T) (=MCC 3388(T)=KCTC 39803(T)=LMG 29598(T)).