Erythrobacter atlanticus sp nov., a bacterium from ocean sediment able to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A Gram-stain-negative, motile, rod-shaped, orange-pigmented bacterium able to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was isolated from deep-sea sediment of the Atlantic Ocean and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. The strain, designated s21-N3(T), could grow at 4-37 degrees C (optimum 28 degrees C), at pH 5-10 (optimum pH 7-8) and with 1-7% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2-3%). Strain s21 -N3(T) was positive for nitrate reduction, denitrification, aesculin hydrolysis, oxidase and catalase, but negative for indole production and urease. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain s21-N3(T) formed a distinct branch within the genus Erythrobacter, sharing high similarities with three closely related strains, Erythrobacter marinus HWDM-33(T) (98.67%), 'Erythrobacter luteus' KA37 (97.80%) and Erythrobacter gangjinensis K7-2(T) (97.59%). The similarities between strain s21-N3(T) and other type strains of recognized species within the genus Erythrobacter ranged from 95.00 to 96.47%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain s21-N3(T) and the three closely related strains Erythrobacter marinus HWDM-33(T), 'Erythrobacter luteus' KA37 and Erythrobacter gangjinensis K7-2(T) were 18.60, 18.00 and 18.50% and 74.24, 72.49 and 72.54%, respectively. The principal fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C-18 : 1 omega 7c/omega 6c) and summed feature 3 (C-16 (:) (1)omega 7c/omega 6c). The respiratory lipoquinone was identified as 0-10. The major polar lipids comprised sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and diphosphatidylglycerol. The G+Ccontent of the chromosomal DNA was determined to be 58.18 molok. The combined genotypic and phenotypic distinctiveness demonstrated that strain s21-N3(T) represents a novel species of the genus Erythrobacter, for which the name Erythrobacter atlanticus sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain s21-N3(T) (=MCCC 1A00519(T)=KCTC 42697(T)).