Phylogenetic relationships among marine Alteromonas-like proteobacteria:: emended description of the family Alteromonadaceae and proposal of Pseudoalteromonadaceae fam. nov., Colwelliaceae fam. nov., Shewanellaceae fam. nov., Montellaceae fam. nov., Ferrimonadaceae fam. nov., Idiomarinaceae fam. nov and Psychromonadaceae fam. nov.

The phylogenetic relationships among marine Alteromonas-like bacteria of the genera Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Glaciecola, Thalassomonas, Colwellia, Idiomarina, Oceanimonas, Oceanisphaera, Shewanella, Moritella, Ferrimonas, Psychromonas and several other genera of the 'Gammaproteobacteria' were studied. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed that some members of these genera formed several coherent groups at the family level. Characteristic signature oligonucleotides for studied taxa were defined. Signature positions are divided into three classes: (i) single compensatory mutations, (ii) double compensatory mutations and (iii) mutations affecting nucleotides not paired in the secondary structure. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity level within genera was 93% or above. This value can be a useful additional criterion for genus discrimination. On the basis of this work and previous polyphasic taxonomic studies, the circumscription of the family Alteromonadaceae is limited to the genera Alteromonas and Glaciecola and the creation is proposed of the families Pseudoalteromonadaceae fam. nov. to accommodate bacteria of the genera Pseudoalteromonas and Algicola gen. nov. (formerly Pseudoalteromonas bacteriolytica) and Colwelliaceae fam. nov. to accommodate bacteria of the genera Colwellia and Thalassomonas. Bacteria of the genera Oceanimonas and Oceanisphaera formed a robust cluster and shared common signature oligonucleotides. Because of deep branching and lack of association with any other genus, the following families are proposed that include single genera: Idiomarinaceae fam. nov., Psychromonadaceae fam. nov., Moritellaceae fam. nov., Ferrimonadaceae fam. nov. and Shewanellaceae fam. nov. Finally, this study also revealed that [Hyphomicrobium] indicum should be reclassified as Photobacterium indicum comb. nov.