Variovorax guangxiensis sp. nov., an aerobic, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacterium isolated from banana rhizosphere.

A 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacterium, designated GXGD002(T), was isolated from the rhizosphere of banana plants cultivated in Guangxi province, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain GXGD002(T) is a member of the genus Variovorax. High levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity are found between strain GXGD002(T) and Variovorax paradoxus DSM 30034(T) (99.4 %), Variovorax ginsengisoli KCTC 12583(T) (99.1 %), Variovorax boronicumulans KCTC 22010(T) (99.0 %), Variovorax soli DSM18216(T) (98.7 %), Variovorax defluvii DSM 27259(T) (98.1 %) and Variovorax dokdonensis KCTC 12544(T) (97.4 %) respectively. However, the DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain GXGD002(T) and its closely related species V. paradoxus DSM 30034(T), V. ginsengisoli KCTC 12583(T) and V. boronicumulans KCTC 22010(T) were found to be 40.7, 30.9 and 23.7 %, respectively. The DNA G + C content of strain GXGD002(T) was found to be 67.8 mol%. The major fatty acids of strain GXGD002(T) are C16:0 (20.3 %), C10:0 3OH (18.4 %), C17:0 cyclo (18.9 %), C18:1w7c (12.3 %) and summed feature 3 (13.9 %). The predominant respiratory quinone was identified as ubiquinone-8 (Q-8) and the major polar lipids as phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The results of polyphasic taxonomic study including physiological and biochemical tests, whole-cell SDS-PAGE profiles and chemotaxonomic analysis allowed a clear differentiation of strain GXGD002(T) from the other species in the genus Variovorax. Based on these results, a new species, Variovorax guangxiensis, is proposed. The type strain is GXGD002(T) (=DSM 27352(T) = ACCC 05911(T)).

Hansschlegelia beijingensis sp. nov., an aerobic, pink-pigmented, facultatively methylotrophic bacterium isolated from watermelon rhizosphere soil.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped strain designated PG04(T) was isolated from the rhizosphere of watermelon plants cultivated in Beijing, China. A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on the new isolate. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies, isolate PG04(T) belonged clearly to the genus Hansschlegelia and was most closely related to Hansschlegelia zhihuaiae (97.3 % similarity to the type strain). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone 10 (Q-10) and the polar lipid profile was composed of the major lipids diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c (41.3 %), C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c (30.6 %) and C16 : 0 (19.1 %). The G+C content of the DNA was about 64.4 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed 34.4 % relatedness between strain PG04(T) and H. zhihuaiae DSM 18984(T). The results of physiological and biochemical tests and differences in fatty acid profiles allowed clear phenotypic differentiation of strain PG04(T) from the most closely related species in the genus, H. zhihuaiae. Strain PG04(T) therefore represents a novel species within the genus Hansschlegelia, for which the name Hansschlegelia beijingensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain PG04(T) ( = DSM 25481(T) = ACCC 05759(T)).