Jeotgalicoccus halotolerans gen. nov., sp nov and Jeotgalicoccus psychrophilus sp nov., isolated from the traditional Korean fermented seafood jeotgal

Two Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, halotolerant and moderately halophilic cocci (strains YKJ-101(T) and YKJ-115(T)) were isolated from the traditional Korean fermented seafood jeotgal, and were investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences showed that strains YKJ-101(T) and YKJ-115(T) are most closely related to the cluster comprising two Salinicoccus species. The peptidoglycan type of the strains is A3alpha, based on L-Lys-Gly(3-4)-L-Ala(Gly), and the predominant menaquinone is MK-7. Strains YKJ-101(T) and YKJ-115(T) have cellular fatty acid profiles containing major amounts of saturated, unsaturated and branched fatty acids; the major fatty acids are anteiso-C-15:0 and iso-C-15:0. The cellular polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and unidentified phospholipids. Strains YKJ-101(T) and YKJ-115(T) have identical DNA G + C contents of 42 mol%. The 16S rDNA similarity between strains YKJ-101(T) and YKJ-115(T) is 98 % and the mean level of DNA-DNA relatedness between the two strains is 13(.)4 %. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic data and genomic distinctiveness, it is proposed that strains YKJ-101(T) and YKJ-115(T) should be placed in a new genus, Jeotgalicoccus gen. nov., as two distinct new species, for which the names Jeotgalicoccus halotolerans sp. nov. and Jeotgalicoccus psychrophilus sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are YKJ-101(T) (= KCCM 41448(T) = JCM 11198(T)) and YKJ-115(T) (= KCCM 41449(T) = JCM 11199(T)), respectively.