Brain ageing in schizophrenia: evidence from 26 international cohorts via the ENIGMA Schizophrenia consortium.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with an increased risk of life-long cognitive impairments, age-related chronic disease, and premature mortality. We investigated evidence for advanced brain ageing in adult SZ patients, and whether this was associated with clinical characteristics in a prospective meta-analytic study conducted by the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group. The study included data from 26 cohorts worldwide, with a total of 2803 SZ patients (mean age 34.2 years; range 18-72 years; 67% male) and 2598 healthy controls (mean age 33.8 years, range 18-73 years, 55% male). Brain-predicted age was individually estimated using a model trained on independent data based on 68 measures of cortical thickness and surface area, 7 subcortical volumes, lateral ventricular volumes and total intracranial volume, all derived from T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Deviations from a healthy brain ageing trajectory were assessed by the difference between brain-predicted age and chronological age (brain-predicted age difference [brain-PAD]). On average, SZ patients showed a higher brain-PAD of +3.55 years (95% CI: 2.91, 4.19; I2 = 57.53%) compared to controls, after adjusting for age, sex and site (Cohen's d = 0.48). Among SZ patients, brain-PAD was not associated with specific clinical characteristics (age of onset, duration of illness, symptom severity, or antipsychotic use and dose). This large-scale collaborative study suggests advanced structural brain ageing in SZ. Longitudinal studies of SZ and a range of mental and somatic health outcomes will help to further evaluate the clinical implications of increased brain-PAD and its ability to be influenced by interventions.

Cortical gyrification differences between early- and late-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder: neurobiological evidence for neurodevelopmentally distinct subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Identifying more homogenous subtypes of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using biological evidence is critical for understanding complexities of the disorder in this heterogeneous population. Age of onset serves as a useful subtyping scheme for distinguishing OCD into two subgroups that aligns with neurodevelopmental perspectives. The underlying neurobiological markers for these distinct neurodevelopmental differences can be identified by investigating gyrification changes to establish biological evidence-based homogeneous subtypes. METHODS: We compared whole-brain cortical gyrification in 84 patients with early-onset OCD, 84 patients with late-onset OCD, and 152 healthy controls (HCs) to identify potential markers for early neurodevelopmental deficits using the local gyrification index (lGI). Then, the relationships between lGI in clusters showing significant differences and performance in visuospatial memory and verbal fluency, which are considered trait-related neurocognitive impairments in OCD, were further examined in early-onset OCD patients. RESULTS: The early-onset OCD patients exhibited significantly greater gyrification than those with late-onset OCD patients and HCs in frontoparietal and cingulate regions, including the bilateral precentral, postcentral, precuneus, paracentral, posterior cingulate, superior frontal, and caudal anterior cingulate gyri. Moreover, impaired neurocognitive functions in early-onset OCD patients were correlated with increased gyrification. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a neurobiological marker to distinguish the OCD population into more neurodevelopmentally homogeneous subtypes, which may contribute to the understanding of the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of an etiology in early-onset OCD consistent with the accumulated phenotypic evidence of greater neurodevelopmental deficits in early-onset OCD than in late-onset OCD.

Beyond verbal fluency in the verbal fluency task: semantic clustering as a predictor of remission in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis.

BACKGROUND: There have been conflicting reports on whether conventional verbal fluency measures can predict the prognosis of individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. We aimed to investigate whether verbal fluency task measures that represent semantic processing more directly than conventional measures could be more reliable predictors of later remission in CHR individuals. METHODS: We recruited CHR individuals and healthy controls to participate in a baseline verbal fluency assessment. We identified semantic clusters within the verbal fluency task responses based on cosine similarity between consecutive words, calculated from the word embedding model. Binomial logistic regression was performed to test whether average semantic cluster size and number of words produced could be predictors of remission in CHR individuals. RESULTS: Our study sample included 96 CHR individuals and 178 healthy controls. According to clinical assessment at the last follow-up, 23 CHR individuals were classified as remitters and 73 as nonremitters, including 29 individuals who converted to psychosis. The CHR remitters showed larger average and maximum semantic cluster sizes than CHR nonremitters and healthy controls. Average semantic cluster size, but not the number of words, was a significant predictor of later remission in CHR individuals. LIMITATIONS: Our sample included only native Korean speakers. CONCLUSION: A verbal fluency task measure that more specifically represents semantic processing may be a better neurocognitive predictive marker for remission in CHR individuals than conventional verbal fluency measures. Our results provide an explanation for heterogeneous reports on whether verbal fluency can predict prognosis in CHR individuals and suggest that semantic processing is a putative cognitive predictor of their prognosis.

Catalytic ozonation of methylethylketone over porous Mn-Cu/HZSM-5.

The catalytic ozonation of methylethylketone (MEK) was performed at the room temperature (25 °C) using the synthesized Mn and Cu-loaded zeolite (ZSM-5, SiO2/Al2O3 = 80) catalysts. The ZSM-5 zeolite was used as a porous support material due to the large surface area and high capacity for adsorption of volatile organic compounds. Since Mn and Cu-loaded zeolite catalysts were effective for the catalytic ozonation of VOCs such as MEK, according to the loaded concentration of Mn and Cu, there are four types of metal loaded ZSM5 catalysts synthesized [5 wt% Mn/ZSM-5, 5 wt% Cu/ZSM-5, 5 wt% Mn-1 wt% Cu/ZSM-5 (5Mn1CuZSM), and 5 wt% Cu-1 wt% Mn/ZSM-5]. The catalytic efficiency for the removal of MEK and ozonation using the different catalysts was also studied. Based on various experimental analysis processes, the characteristics of the synthesized catalysts were explored and the removal efficiencies of MEK and O3 together with the COx concentration generated from the destruction of MEK and O3 were explored. The results for the decomposition of MEK and O3 at the room temperature indicated that the Mn dominant ZSM-5 catalysts showed better efficiency for the conversion of MEK and O3. The 5 wt% Mn/ZSM-5 outweighed the rest of them for the removal of MEK while the 5Mn1CuZSM showed the best catalytic reactivity for the conversion of O3 and the CO2 selectivity. It was ascertained that during the reaction time of catalyst and reactants of 120 min the Mn dominantly deposited bimetallic catalyst, 5Mn1CuZSM, was determined as the most effective for the removal of MEK and O3 due to the high capability of production of Mn3+ species and more available adsorbed oxygen sites compared to the other catalysts. Finally, the durability measurement for the 5Mn1CuZSM catalyst was performed together with the produced CO and CO2 concentration for 420 min.

Evaluation of the meibomian glands using the tear interferometer wearing orthokeratology lenses.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of orthokeratology wear on meibomian glands in Korean pediatric population using the tear interferometer. METHODS: Fifty-three orthokeratology wearers and 79 non-lens wearers were evaluated using the LipiView® II ocular surface interferometer which shows incomplete blink rate, average lipid layer thickness, and meiboscores. RESULTS: No significant differences in the incomplete blink rate and meiboscores for upper eyelids, but the lipid layer thickness and meiboscores for lower eyelids were significantly higher in the Ortho-K group than in the control group (p = 0.024 and 0.007, respectively). Correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between the duration of orthokeratology wear and the parameters measured by LipiView® (p > 0.05 for all). Among subgroups based on average duration of lens wear, the longer duration (≥ 24 months) subgroup showed higher meiboscores of lower eyelids (p = 0.011), but no other significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Ortho-K wearers showed no significant differences in the incomplete blink rate and meiboscores of upper eyelids, but they were associated with increased LLT and higher meiboscores of lower eyelids. Thorough examination and close monitoring of orthokeratology wearers is necessary. Prospective and observational studies are needed to further elucidate the relationship between Orthokeratology and meibomian glands.

Relationship between meibomian gland loss in infrared meibography and meibum quality in dry eye patients.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, we evaluated the correlation between meibomian gland dropout and meibum quality in the same central 8 meibomian glands of the eyelid. METHODS: Ninety-nine eyes of 91 patients with dry eye were included in the study. Dropout of the 8 central meibomian glands of the eyelids was graded as 0, 1, 2, or 3, according to the dropout area. The meibum quality was graded as follows: grade 0, no secretion; 1, inspissated/toothpaste consistency; 2, cloudy liquid secretion; and 3, clear liquid secretion. For 68 eyes of 68 patients, correlation analysis between dropout and meibum quality was performed. To precisely analyze the direct correlation between meibomian gland dropout in meibography and meibum quality, we evaluated 31 eyes of 23 patients with focal dropout in meibography. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) meiboscore was 1.0 (2.0) in the upper eyelids and 0.0 (1.0) in the lower eyelids. The median (interquartile range) meibum quality grade was 3.0 (1.0) in the upper eyelids and 1.0 (1.0) in the lower eyelids. No significant correlation between the meiboscore and meibum quality grade was detected in the upper (p =0.746) or lower (p =0.551) eyelids. Analysis of the direct correlation between meibomian gland dropout in meibography and meibum quality in patients with focal dropout (loss of 1 or 2 adjacent meibomian glands), however, indicated that meibomian glands with dropout secreted little to no meibum. CONCLUSIONS: Overall analysis revealed no relationship between meibomian gland dropout and meibum quality, but more detailed investigation of each meibomian gland alone revealed that meibomian glands with dropout secrete little to no meibum.

Highly Efficient Photothermal Therapy with Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Modified Bumpy Au Triangular Nanoprisms using Low Laser Power and Low Probe Dose.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) exploits nanomaterials with optimal heat conversion and cellular penetration using near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. However, current PTT agents suffer from inefficient heat conversion, poor intracellular delivery, and a high dose of probes along with excessive laser irradiation, causing limited therapeutic outcomes. Here, bumpy Au triangular nanoprisms (BATrisms) are developed for increasing the surface area, improving cell penetration, shifting the absorption peak to the NIR region, and enhancing the photothermal conversion efficiency (∼86%). Further, leucine (L)- and lysine (K)-rich cell-penetrating peptides (LK peptides) were employed to largely improve their cellular uptake efficiency. Importantly, a significant in vivo therapeutic efficacy with LK-BATrisms was demonstrated in a triple-negative breast cancer xenograft mice model. A very small dose of LK-BATrism (2.5 µg Au) was enough to exert antitumor efficacy under very low laser power (808 nm, 0.25 W/cm2), causing minimal tissue damages while very efficiently killing cancer cells.

Multicomponent Plasmonic Nanoparticles: From Heterostructured Nanoparticles to Colloidal Composite Nanostructures.

Plasmonic nanostructures possessing unique and versatile optoelectronic properties have been vastly investigated over the past decade. However, the full potential of plasmonic nanostructure has not yet been fully exploited, particularly with single-component homogeneous structures with monotonic properties, and the addition of new components for making multicomponent nanoparticles may lead to new-yet-unexpected or improved properties. Here we define the term "multi-component nanoparticles" as hybrid structures composed of two or more condensed nanoscale domains with distinctive material compositions, shapes, or sizes. We reviewed and discussed the designing principles and synthetic strategies to efficiently combine multiple components to form hybrid nanoparticles with a new or improved plasmonic functionality. In particular, it has been quite challenging to precisely synthesize widely diverse multicomponent plasmonic structures, limiting realization of the full potential of plasmonic heterostructures. To address this challenge, several synthetic approaches have been reported to form a variety of different multicomponent plasmonic nanoparticles, mainly based on heterogeneous nucleation, atomic replacements, adsorption on supports, and biomolecule-mediated assemblies. In addition, the unique and synergistic features of multicomponent plasmonic nanoparticles, such as combination of pristine material properties, finely tuned plasmon resonance and coupling, enhanced light-matter interactions, geometry-induced polarization, and plasmon-induced energy and charge transfer across the heterointerface, were reported. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the latest advances on state-of-art synthetic strategies, unique properties, and promising applications of multicomponent plasmonic nanoparticles. These plasmonic nanoparticles including heterostructured nanoparticles and composite nanostructures are prepared by direct synthesis and physical force- or biomolecule-mediated assembly, which hold tremendous potential for plasmon-mediated energy transfer, magnetic plasmonics, metamolecules, and nanobiotechnology.

Comparison of surgically induced astigmatism between anterior and total cornea in 2.2 mm steep meridian incision cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) on the anterior and total cornea during cataract surgery through a 2.2 mm steep meridian incision. METHODS: The study included 69 left eyes of 69 patients who had undergone cataract surgery. The 69 eyes were classified into three subgroups according to the preoperative steep meridian. Following phacoemulsification, an intraocular lens was inserted into the bag. The keratometric measurements were taken 12 months postoperatively, on the anterior cornea (automated keratometer and anterior keratometry [K] from a rotating Scheimpflug camera) and total cornea (equivalent K reading [EKR] 3.0 mm, EKR 4.5 mm, total corneal refractive power (TCRP) 2.0 mm ring, TCRP 3.0 mm zone, TCRP 4.0 mm zone). The SIA was analyzed for each parameter. RESULTS: On the double-angle polar plot, the summated vector mean values of SIA determined by the automated keratometer and Scheimpflug anterior K were 0.28 diopter (axis: 177°) and 0.37 diopter (axis: 175°) in with-the-rule (WTR) astigmatism; 0.03 diopter (axis: 156°) and 0.18 diopter (axis: 177°) in oblique astigmatism; 0.15 diopter (axis: 96°) and 0.17 diopter (axis: 73°) in against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism. The mean SIAs on the total cornea ranged from 0.31 to 0.42 diopter in WTR astigmatism; from 0.16 to 0.27 diopter in oblique astigmatism; from 0.04 to 0.11 diopter in ATR astigmatism. Mean magnitude SIA ranged from 0.41 to 0.46 diopter on anterior corneal surface and 0.50 to 0.62 diopter on total cornea. J0 and J45 of the posterior cornea showed no significant changes after cataract surgery, and the changes in J0 and J45 did not show any statistical differences between the anterior and total cornea (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in the summed vector mean values of SIA between the anterior cornea and the total cornea.

Microbulbifer aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and coccoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated GHTF-23T, was isolated from a tidal flat of the South Sea, South Korea. GHTF-23T grew optimally at 37 °C, at pH 6.5-7.5 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. In the neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, GHTF-23T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Microbulbifer. GHTF-23T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.1-97.9 % to the type strains of Microbulbifer salipaludis, Microbulbifer hydrolyticus, Microbulbifer elongatus, Microbulbifer mangrovi and Microbulbifer yueqingensis and 94.5-96.8 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Microbulbifer. GHTF-23T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and iso-C15 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in GHTF-23T and M. hydrolyticus DSM 11525T were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified glycolipid. The DNA G+C content of GHTF-23T was 60.1 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of M. salipaludis, M. hydrolyticus, M. elongatus, M. mangrovi and M. yueqingensis were 11-31 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that GHTF-23T is separated from species of the genus Microbulbifer with validly published names. On the basis of the data presented, GHTF-23T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Microbulbifer, for which the name Microbulbifer aestuariivivenssp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GHTF-23T (=KCTC 52569T=NBRC 112533T).

Flaviramulus aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding, aerobic and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated OITF-51T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Oido, an island of South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain OITF-51T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain OITF-51T forms a cluster with the type strains of three species of the genus Flaviramulus. Strain OITF-51T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.0, 95.8 and 95.8 % to the type strains of Flaviramulus ichthyoenteri, Flaviramulus basaltis and Flaviramulus aquimarinus, respectively, and of less than 96.5 % to the type strains of other recognized species. Strain OITF-51T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain OITF-51T were phosphatidylethanolamine and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-51T was 33.4 mol%, and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness value with the type strain of F. ichthyoenteri was 13 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain OITF-51T is separated from recognized species of the genus Flaviramulus. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-51T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Flaviramulus, for which the name Flaviramulus aestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-51T (=KCTC 52657T=NBRC 112707T).

Polaribacter litorisediminis sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated OITF-11T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Oido, an island of South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain OITF-11T grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain OITF-11T belonged to the genus Polaribacter. Strain OITF-11T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.4-98.1 % to Polaribacter haliotis RA4-7T, Polaribacter atrinae KACC 17473T, Polaribacter dokdonensis DSW-5T and Polaribacter marinaquae KCTC 42664T, and of 94.1-96.9 % to the type strains of the other Polaribacter species. Strain OITF-11T contained menaquinone MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and C15 : 1ω6c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain OITF-11T were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-11T was 32.2 mol% and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of P. haliotis, P. atrinae, P. dokdonensis and P. marinaquae were 14-33 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain OITF-11T is separated from recognized species of the genus Polaribacter. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-11T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Polaribacter, for which the name Polaribacter litorisediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-11T (=KCTC 52500T=NBRC 112457T).

Nonlabens aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain OITF-31T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Oido, an island of South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain OITF-31T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 1.0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain OITF-31T belonged to the genus Nonlabens, clustering with the type strains of Nonlabens dokdonensis and Nonlabens xylanidelens, sharing 98.1 % sequence similarity with each. Strain OITF-31T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 93.9-95.8 % to the type strains of other Nonlabens species and less than of 91.8 % to the type strains of other recognized species. Strain OITF-31T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain OITF-31T were phosphatidylethanolamine, six unidentified lipids and two unidentified aminolipids. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-31T was 38.1 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of N. dokdonensis and N. xylanidelens were 24 and 19 %, respectively. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain OITF-31T is separated from recognized species of the genus Nonlabens. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-31T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Nonlabens, for which the name Nonlabens aestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-31T (=KCTC 52502T=NBRC 112459T).

Roseovarius aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated GHTF-24T, was isolated from a tidal flat on the South Sea, South Korea, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic study. The novel strain grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. In the neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain GHTF-24T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Roseovarius. Strain GHTF-24T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.0 % to each of Roseovariushalotolerans HJ50T and Roseovariuspacificus 81-2T and of 91.6-96.5 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Roseovarius. Strain GHTF-24T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids of strain GHTF-24T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain GHTF-24T was 62.3 mol%, and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of R. halotolerans and R.pacificus were 13-16 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain GHTF-24T is separated from other recognized species of the genus Roseovarius. On the basis of the data presented, strain GHTF-24T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Roseovarius, for which the name Roseovarius aestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GHTF-24T (=KCTC 52454T=NBRC 112420T).

Lutibacter litorisediminis sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated OITF-20T, was isolated from the tidal flat in Oido, an island of South Korea. The novel strain grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 1.0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. In the neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain OITF-20T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Lutibacter. Strain OITF-20T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.8, 97.6 and 97.6 % to the type strains of Lutibactercrassostreae, Lutibacterflavus and Lutibacterlitoralis, respectively, of 94.9-96.8 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Lutibacter and of less than 93.4 % to the type strains of the other recognized species. Strain OITF-20T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, C15 : 1ω6c and iso-C15 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain OITF-20T were phosphatidylethanolamine and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-20T was 31.1 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of L. crassostreae, L. flavus and L. litoralis were 17-27 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain OITF-20T is separated from other recognized species of the genus Lutibacter. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-20T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Lutibacter, for which the name Lutibacter litorisediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-20T (=KCTC 52501T=NBRC 112458T).

Litorisediminivivensgilvus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, aerobic and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterium, designated YSM-17T, was isolated from tidal flat sediment collected from the South Sea, South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. The novel strain grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 6.5-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YSM-17T forms a distinct evolutionary lineage independent of other taxa in the family Rhodobacteraceae. Strain YSM-17T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 96.8 and 96.6 % to the type strains of Pseudopelagicola gijangensis and Pelagicola litoralis, respectively, and of less than 96.5 % to the type strains of other recognized taxa. Strain YSM-17T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids detected in strain YSM-17T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified aminolipid. The fatty acid and polar lipid profiles of strain YSM-17T were distinguished from those of the genera Pseudopelagicola and Pelagicola. The DNA G+C content of strain YSM-17T was 64.6±0.04 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic properties, strain YSM-17T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus within the family Rhodobacteraceae, for which the name Litorisediminivivensgilvus gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of Litorisediminivivensgilvus is YSM-17T (=KCTC 52249T=NBRC 112330T).

Fulvivirga lutimaris sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated TM-6T, was isolated from a tidal flat sediment in the Korean peninsula. Strain TM-6T was found to grow optimally at pH 7.0-8.0, at 30 °C and in the presence of 2-3% (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TM-6T joined the clade comprising recognized species of the genus Fulvivirga, with which it exhibited 94.7- 95.2 % sequence similarity. Strain TM-6T was found to contain iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as major fatty acids. The only isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7). The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine and three unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain TM-6T was 50.9 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain TM-6T is distinguishable from recognized Fulvivirgaspecies. On the basis of the data presented, strain TM-6T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Fulvivirga, for which the name Fulvivirga lutimaris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TM-6T (=KCTC 42720T=CECT 9024T).

Tenacibaculum sediminilitoris sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding, non-spore-forming bacterial strain, designated YKTF-3T, was isolated from a tidal flat on the Yellow Sea, South Korea. Strain YKTF-3T grew optimally at 30 °C and in the presence of 2.0-4.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YKTF-3T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of Tenacibaculumspecies. The novel strain exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.22-98.34 % to the type strains of Tenacibaculum gallaicum, Tenacibaculum ascidiaceicola, Tenacibaculum litoreum, Tenacibaculum discolor, Tenacibaculum aestuarii and Tenacibaculum lutimaris, and of 95.08-96.95 % to the type strains of the other Tenacibaculum species. Strain YKTF-3T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain YKTF-3T were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified lipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content was 32.3 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of the six phylogenetically closely relatedTenacibaculum species were 10-27 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain YKTF-3T is separate from other recognized species of the genus Tenacibaculum. On the basis of the data presented, strain YKTF-3T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Tenacibaculum, for which the name Tenacibaculum sediminilitoris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YKTF-3T (=KCTC 52210T=NBRC 111991T).

Primorskyibacteraestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat, and emended description of the genus Primorskyibacter.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, motile and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated OITF-36T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Oido, an island of South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain OITF-36T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain OITF-36T clustered with the type strains of Primorskyibactersedentarius and Primorskyibacter insulae, showing 97.4-97.6 % sequence similarity. It exhibited sequence similarity values of less than 96.9 % to the type strains of the other recognized species. Strain OITF-36T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids detected in strain OITF-36T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-36T was 61.8 mol%, and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of P. sedentarius and P. insulae were 16-24 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain OITF-36T is separate from P. sedentarius and P. insulae. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-36T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Primorskyibacter, for which the name Primorskyibacteraestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-36T (=KCTC 52455T=NBRC 112419T).

Algoriphagus litorisediminis sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-gliding, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain OITF-19T, was isolated from a tidal flat in Oido, an island of South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain OITF-19T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain OITF-19T belonged to the genus Algoriphagus, clustering with the type strain of Algoriphagus namhaensis, with which it shared 96.5 % sequence similarity. Strain OITF-19T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Algoriphagus chungangensis CAU 1002T (97.0 %) and of 92.0-96.8 % to the type strains of other Algoriphagus species. Strain OITF-19T contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain OITF-19T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and three unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain OITF-19T was 38.3 mol%. Mean DNA-DNA relatedness between strain OITF-19T and the type strain of A. chungangensis was 26 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain OITF-19T is separated from recognized species of the genus Algoriphagus. On the basis of the data presented, strain OITF-19T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Algoriphagus, for which the name Algoriphagus litorisediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is OITF-19T (=KCTC 52456T=NBRC 112418T).