Bacillus velezensis sp nov., a surfactant-producing bacterium isolated from the river Velez in Malaga, southern Spain

Two Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacterial strains, CR-502(T) and CR-14b, which produce surfactant molecules are described. Phenotypic tests and phylogenetic analyses showed these strains to be members of the genus Bacillus and related to the species Bacillus atrophaeus, Bacillus mojavensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus vallismortis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, although they differ from these species in a number of phenotypic characteristics. DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed that they show less than 20% hybridization with the above-mentioned species and therefore represent a novel species of Bacillus. The DNA G + C content is 46(.)4 mol% in strain CR-502(T) and 46(.)1 mol% in strain CR-14b. The main fatty acids in strain CR-502(T) are 15:0 anteiso (32(.)70%), 15:0 iso (29(.)86%) and 16:0 (13(.)41 %). The main quinone in strain CR-502(T) is MK-7 (96-6%). In the light of the polyphasic evidence gathered in this study, it is proposed that these strains be classified as a novel species of the genus Bacillus, with the name Bacillus velezensis sp. nov. The type strain (CR-502(T) =CECT 5686(T) =LmG 22478(T)) was isolated from a brackish water sample taken from the river Velez at Torredelmar in Malaga, southern Spain.