Group A Streptococcal meningitis in children: a short case series and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Group A streptococcal(GAS) meningitis is a severe disease with a high case fatality rate. In the era of increasing GAS meningitis, our understanding about this disease is limited. PURPOSE: To gain a better understanding about GAS meningitis. METHODS: Five new cases with GAS meningitis were reported. GAS meningitis related literatures were searched for systematic review in PUBMED and EMBASE. Case reports and case series on paediatric cases were included. Information on demographics, risk factors, symptoms, treatments, outcomes, and emm types of GAS was summarized. RESULTS: Totally 263 cases were included. Among 100 individuals, 9.9% (8/81) had prior varicella, 11.1% (9/81) had anatomical factors, and 53.2% (42/79) had extracranial infections. Soft tissue infections were common among infants (10/29, 34.5%), while ear/sinus infections were more prevalent in children ≥ 3 years (21/42, 50.0%). The overall case fatality rate (CFR) was 16.2% (12/74). High risk of death was found in patients with shock or systemic complications, young children(< 3 years) and cases related to hematogenic spread. The predominate cause of death was shock(6/8). Among the 163 patients included in case series studies, ear/sinus infections ranged from 21.4 to 62.5%, while STSS/shock ranged from 12.5 to 35.7%, and the CFR ranged from 5.9 to 42.9%. CONCLUSIONS: A history of varicella, soft tissue infections, parameningeal infections and CSF leaks are important clinical clues to GAS in children with meningitis. Young children and hematogenic spread related cases need to be closely monitored for shock due to the high risk of death.

Changes in the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of viral gastroenteritis among hospitalized children in the Mainland of China: a retrospective study from 2016 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) causes significant morbidity in children worldwide; however, the disease burden of children hospitalized with viral gastroenteritis in China has been rarely described. Through this study, we analyzed the data of hospitalized children with viral gastroenteritis to explore the changes in the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of viral gastroenteritis in the mainland of China. METHODS: Data were extracted from Futang Children's Medical Development Research Center (FRCPD), between 2016 and 2020, across 27 hospitals in 7 regions. The demographics, geographic distribution, pathogenic examination results, complications, hospital admission date, length of hospital stays, hospitalization charges and outcomes were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Viral etiological agents included rotavirus (RV), adenovirus (ADV), norovirus (NV) and coxsackievirus (CV) that were detected in 25,274 (89.6%), 1,047 (3.7%), 441 (1.5%) and 83 (0.3%) cases. There was a higher prevalence of RV and NV infection among children younger than 3 years of age. RV and NV had the highest detection rates in winter, while ADV in summer. Children with viral gastroenteritis were often accompanied by other diseases, such as myocardial diseases (10.98-31.04%), upper respiratory tract diseases (1.20-20.15%), and seizures (2.41-14.51%). Among those cases, the co-infection rate with other pathogens was 6.28%, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and influenza virus (FLU) being the most common pathogens. The median length of stay was 5 days, and the median cost of hospitalization corresponded to587 US dollars. CONCLUSIONS: This finding suggests that viral gastroenteritis, especially those caused by RV, is a prevalent illness among younger children. Co-infections and the presence of other diseases are common. The seasonality and regional variation of viral etiological agents highlight the need for targeted prevention and control measures. Although viral gastroenteritis rarely leads to death, it also results in a significant economic burden on healthcare systems.

Three-Dimensional Strawlike MoSe2-Ni(Fe)Se Electrocatalysts for Overall Water Splitting.

The development of efficient and low-cost transition-metal electrocatalysts is of great significance for hydrogen production from water splitting. Herein, we synthesized three-dimensional strawlike MoSe2-NiSe composed of microrods on nickel foam (NF) by a one-step hydrothermal reaction. The as-prepared MoSe2-NiSe/NF exhibited effective hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity (low overpotential of 79 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and stability of 21 h in 1 M KOH), benefiting from the large electrochemically active area provided by strawlike structures, proper Se content, and synergistic effect of active phases. The enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity (the low overpotential of 217 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and maintaining stability for 47 h in 1 M KOH) was further observed for Fe-doped MoSe2-NiSe/NF (MoSe2-NiFeSe/NF) prepared by facile soaking, which can be mainly ascribed to optimized active phases formed on the OER process after Fe doping. The two-electrode system (MoSe2-NiSe/NF||MoSe2-NiFeSe/NF) requires a low cell voltage of 1.54 V to obtain a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH, which provides an interesting idea for constructing an effective overall water splitting system.

Elongation factor P is required for EIIGlc translation in Corynebacterium glutamicum due to an essential polyproline motif.

Translating ribosomes require elongation factor P (EF-P) to incorporate consecutive prolines (XPPX) into nascent peptide chains. The proteome of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 contains a total of 1,468 XPPX motifs, many of which are found in proteins involved in primary and secondary metabolism. We show here that synthesis of EIIGlc , the glucose-specific permease of the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP): sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) encoded by ptsG, is strongly dependent on EF-P, as an efp deletion mutant grows poorly on glucose as sole carbon source. The amount of EIIGlc is strongly reduced in this mutant, which consequently results in a lower rate of glucose uptake. Strikingly, the XPPX motif is essential for the activity of EIIGlc , and substitution of the prolines leads to inactivation of the protein. Finally, translation of GntR2, a transcriptional activator of ptsG, is also dependent on EF-P. However, its reduced amount in the efp mutant can be compensated for by other regulators. These results reveal for the first time a translational bottleneck involving production of the major glucose transporter EIIGlc , which has implications for future strain engineering strategies.

Clinical characteristics of central nervous system candidiasis due to Candida albicans in children: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system candidiasis due to Candida albicans (CNSC) in children is easily misdiagnosed and is associated with poor outcomes and a high mortality rate. There is no big data research or systematic review of CNSC. METHODS: Patients diagnosed as CNSC with positive culture results of Candida albicans in Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from March 2010 to March 2019 were included. Patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy or transplantation, or with malignant tumours were excluded. We analysed the clinical characteristics, follow-up results, drug susceptibility tests and whole-exome sequencing (WES) results. RESULTS: Thirty-three definitive patients were enrolled, including 22 males and 11 females. Twenty-five patients suffered from CNSC when they were less than 1 year old, and a total of 29 patients had high-risk factors. The main clinical manifestations were fever, convulsions, and positive neurological signs. Twenty-two patients had CNS infections alone, and 11 patients had CNS infections combined with invasive infections involving multiple sites. Twenty-seven cases had a positive CSF and/or blood culture at our hospital. All strains were susceptible to fluconazole, and 2 strains had intermediate susceptibility to voriconazole. As for amphotericin B, all the strains were wild type (WT). WES of 16 patients revealed 2 cases with CARD9 mutations, who suffered from recurrent onychomycosis or thrush before. CONCLUSION: CNSC mostly existed in children younger than 1 year old, who all had underlying risk factors. CNSC patients with onset at an older age or with recurrent superficial fungal infections might have primary immunodeficiency.

Particulate matter pollution and emergency room visits for respiratory diseases in a valley Basin city of Northwest China.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that particulate matter (PM) pollution seriously affects human health, particularly it is closely associated with respiratory diseases. The aim of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the effect of PMs (PM10 and PM2.5) on emergency room (ER) visits for respiratory diseases in Lanzhou, a valley basin city in northwest China. Based on the data of the ER visits, daily concentration of particulate matters and daily meteorological elements from January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2017, we used a generalized additive model (GAM) of time series to evaluate the exposure-response relationship between PMs and respiratory ER visits. Seasonal modified effects of PM2.5 and PM10 on different age and gender groups were also performed. Results showed that the highest incidence of respiratory diseases occurred in winter. Respiratory ER visits for the total were significantly associated with PM2.5 (at lag 0 day) and PM10 (at lag 3 days), with relative risks (RRs) of 1.042 (95%CI: 1.036 -1.047) and 1.013 (95%CI: 1.011-1.016), respectively. Effects of PM pollutants on respiratory diseases are different among different age and gender groups. Children under 15 years and the elders over 60 years were the most sensitive to PM pollution, and males were more sensitive than females. The results obtained in the current study would provide a scientific evidence for local government to make policy decision for prevention of respiratory diseases.

Next-generation sequencing technology as a powerful detection and semi-quantitative method for herpes simplex virus type 1 in pediatric encephalitis.

This case report presents a 1-year-old boy from China, with sudden onset of fever, convulsion, and sleepiness, screened for viral DNA in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to diagnose herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) encephalitis, further validated by PCR. After acyclovir treatment, the patient's symptom disappeared and HSV-1 DNA unique reads decreased from 4290 to zero in CSF, and from 23 to zero in blood detected by NGS. The clinical presentation and outcome were consistent with the pathogenic diagnostic results of NGS. NGS of CSF samples can be used as a diagnostic assay for HSV-1 encephalitis and also might be a semi-quantitative method for evaluation of treatment effect.

Random-forest algorithm based biomarkers in predicting prognosis in the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) one of the most common digestive system tumors, threatens the tens of thousands of people with high morbidity and mortality world widely. The purpose of our study was to investigate the related genes of HCC and discover their potential abilities to predict the prognosis of the patients. METHODS: We obtained RNA sequencing data of HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and performed analysis on protein coding genes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were conducted to discover biological functions of DEGs. Protein and protein interaction (PPI) was performed to investigate hub genes. In addition, a method of supervised machine learning, recursive feature elimination (RFE) based on random forest (RF) classifier, was used to screen for significant biomarkers. And the basic experiment was conducted by lab, we constructe a clinical patients' database, and obtained the data and results of immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We identified five biomarkers with significantly high expression to predict survival risk of the HCC patients. These prognostic biomarkers included SPC25, NUF2, MCM2, BLM and AURKA. We also defined a risk score model with these biomarkers to identify the patients who is in high risk. In our single-center experiment, 95 pairs of clinical samples were used to explore the expression levels of NUF2 and BLM in HCC. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that NUF2 and BLM were significantly up-regulated in immunohistochemical staining. High expression levels of NUF2 and BLM indicated poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Our investigation provided novel prognostic biomarkers and model in HCC and aimed to improve the understanding of HCC. In the results obtained, we also conducted a part of experiments to verify the theory described earlier, The experimental results did verify our theory.

KPC1 alleviates hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis in rat cardiomyocyte cells though BAX degradation.

Bax triggers cell apoptosis by permeabilizing the outer mitochondrial membrane, leading to membrane potential loss and cytochrome c release. However, it is unclear if proteasomal degradation of Bax is involved in the apoptotic process, especially in heart ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury. In the present study, KPC1 expression was heightened in left ventricular cardiomyocytes of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), in I/R-myocardium in vivo and in hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocytes in vitro. Overexpression of KPC1 reduced infarction size and cell apoptosis in I/R rat hearts. Similarly, the forced expression of KPC1 restored mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cytochrome c release driven by H/R in H9c2 cells, whereas reducing cell apoptosis, and knockdown of KPC1 by short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) deteriorated cell apoptosis induced by H/R. Mechanistically, forced expression of KPC1 promoted Bax protein degradation, which was abolished by proteasome inhibitor MG132, suggesting that KPC1 promoted proteasomal degradation of Bax. Furthermore, KPC1 prevented basal and apoptotic stress-induced Bax translocation to mitochondria. Bax can be a novel target for the antiapoptotic effects of KPC1 on I/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and render mechanistic penetration into at least a subset of the mitochondrial effects of KPC1.

Lujinxingia litoralis gen. nov., sp. nov. and Lujinxingia sediminis sp. nov., two new representatives in the order Bradymonadales.

In this study, two bacterial strains designated B210T and SEH01T, isolated from coastal sediment sampled in Weihai, PR China, were characterized using a polyphasic approach. Strains were Gram-stain-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped and motile. According to the results of phylogenetic analyses based on their 16S rRNA genes, these two strains should be classified under the order Bradymonadales and they both show <90 % sequence similarities with Bradymonas sediminis FA350T. Moreover, strain B210T showed 98.6 % sequence similarity to strain SEH01T. Genomic characteristics including average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values clearly separated strain B210T from strain SEH01T. The sole quinone of these two strains was menaquinone MK-7, and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified lipid. Iso-C15 : 0 was the major fatty acid in both strains B210T and SEH01T, and iso-C14 : 0 3-OH was also a major fatty acid for strain SEH01T. Based on the polyphasic analysis, these two strains represent two novel species of a new genus within the family Bradymonadaceae. Consequently, the novel genus Lujinxingia gen. nov. is proposed, containing two new species Lujinxingia litoralis gen. nov. sp. nov. and Lujinxingia sediminis sp. nov., with strain B210T (=KCTC 42951T=CGMCC 1.16770T) and strain SEH01T (=KCTC 42950T=DSM 101859T) as the type strains, respectively.

The diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for identifying Streptococcus pneumoniae in paediatric bacterial meningitis.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no research on the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for a single pathogens in CSF. The aim of this study was to analyse the value of mNGS for identifying Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) in paediatric bacterial meningitis. METHODS: Bacterial meningitis (BM) cases from October 23, 2014, to December 31, 2016, and December 1, 2017, to July 31, 2018 at Beijing Children's Hospital were reviewed. Clinical features and pathogens were analysed. RESULTS: We diagnosed 135 patients with BM in this study. A total of 43 S. pneumoniae were identified by combination methods. 26/135 (19.3%) patients had positive results in S. pneumoniae by blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture. Alere BinaxNow®Streptococcus pneumoniae Antigen test was positive in 35/135(25.9%) cases. 32/135 (23.7%) S. pneumoniae were identified by mNGS. Six CSF samples were identified as S. pneumoniae only by mNGS technology. Taking culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS for diagnosing S. pneumoniae meningitis were 73.1 and 88.1%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of diagnosing S. pneumoniae meningitis by mNGS were 59.4 and 93.2%, respectively. When comparison between mNGS and combined tests (culture and Alere BinaxNow®Streptococcus pneumoniae Antigen test), the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS for S. pneumoniae identification were 70.3 and 93.9%, the PPV and NPV in the identification of S. pneumoniae by mNGS were 81.4 and 89.3%, respectively. The difference in number of unique reads of S. pneumoniaein from CSF sample (< 14 days onset) and CSF sample (> 14 days from onset) was statistically significant (170.5 VS. 13, P = 0.019). The difference in the collected time of CSF for culture and mNGS was statistically significant (4 days VS. 14 days, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: mNGS has high sensitivity and specificity for S. pneumoniae identification. The pathogen load (number of unique reads) of S. pneumonia is related to the CSF collection time. mNGS was less affected than culture by the use of antibiotics before CSF collection.

VEGF-A and VEGF-B Coordinate the Arteriogenesis to Repair the Infarcted Heart with Vagus Nerve Stimulation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) suppresses arrhythmic activity and minimizes cardiomyocyte injury. However, how VNS affects angiogenesis/arteriogenesis in infarcted hearts, is poorly understood. METHODS: Myocardial infarction (MI) was achieved by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in rats. 7 days after LAD, stainless-steel wires were looped around the left and right vagal nerve in the neck for vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). The vagal nerve was stimulated with regular pulses of 0.2ms duration at 20 Hz for 10 seconds every minute for 4 hours, and then ACh levels by ELISA in cardiac tissue and serum were evaluated for its release after VNS. Three and 14 days after VNS, Real-time PCR, immunostaining and western blot were respectively used to determine VEGF-A/B expressions and α-SMA- and CD31-postive vessels in VNS-hearts with pretreatment of α7-nAChR blocker mecamylamine (10 mg/kg, ip) or mACh-R blocker atropine (10 mg/kg, ip) for 1 hour. The coronary function and left ventricular performance were analyzed by Langendorff system and hemodynamic parameters in VNS-hearts with pretreatment of VEGF-A/B-knockdown or VEGFR blocker AMG706. Coronary arterial endothelial cells proliferation, migration and tube formation were evaluated for angiogenesis following the stimulation of VNS in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). RESULTS: VNS has been shown to stimulate VEGF-A and VEGF-B expressions in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) with an increase of α-SMA- and CD31-postive vessel number in infarcted hearts. The VNS-induced VEGF-A/B expressions and angiogenesis were abolished by m-AChR inhibitor atropine and α7-nAChR blocker mecamylamine in vivo. Interestingly, knockdown of VEGF-A by shRNA mainly reduced VNS-mediated formation of CD31+ microvessels. In contrast, knockdown of VEGF-B powerfully abrogated VNS-induced formation of α-SMA+ vessels. Consistently, VNS-induced VEGF-A showed a greater effect on EC tube formation as compared to VNS-induced VEGF-B. Moreover, VEGF-A promoted EC proliferation and VSMC migration while VEGF-B induced VSMC proliferation and EC migration in vitro. Mechanistically, vagal neurotransmitter acetylcholine stimulated VEGF-A/B expressions through m/nACh-R/PI3K/Akt/Sp1 pathway in EC. Functionally, VNS improved the coronary function and left ventricular performance. However, blockade of VEGF receptor by antagonist AMG706 or knockdown of VEGF-A or VEGF-B by shRNA significantly diminished the beneficial effects of VNS on ventricular performance. CONCLUSION: VNS promoted angiogenesis/arteriogenesis to repair the infracted heart through the synergistic effects of VEGF-A and VEGF-B.

Bacillus marinisedimentorum sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, motile and facultatively anaerobic strain, designated NC2-31T, was isolated from sediment from the coast of Weihai, PR China. Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C, pH 7.5 and with 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. MK-7 was the major respiratory quinone. Meso-diaminopimelic acid was a diagnostic diamino acid in the peptidoglycan. The major polar lipids of NC2-31T were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The genomic DNA G+C content of the strain was 46.3 mol%. The predominant cellular fatty acids (>10.0 %) of NC2-31T were iso-C15 : 0 (18.9 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (15.8 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) (15.3 %) and iso-C16 : 0 (10.3 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that NC2-31T should be classified as representing a member of the genus Bacillus. Based on data from the current polyphasic study, NC2-31T represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillusmarinisedimentorum sp. nov. is proposed with type strain NC2-31T (=KCTC 33721T=MCCC 1K01239T).

Risk factors for carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae bloodstream infection and predictors of mortality in Chinese paediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Early identification of patients at highest risk is very important. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and mortality of K. pneumoniae BSI and to identify risk factors associated with CRKP BSI among paediatric patients. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2014, a retrospective case-control study was conducted at Beijing Children's Hospital, China. Risk factors for CRKP BSI and for K. pneumoniae BSI-related death were evaluated. Patients with BSI caused by K. pneumoniae were identified from the microbiology laboratory database. Data regarding demographic, microbiological and clinical characteristics, therapy and outcome were collected from the medical records. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients with K. pneumoniae BSI were enrolled, including 54 patients with CRKP BSI and 84 patients with carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae (CSKP) BSI. Most of the BSI (114; 82.6%) were healthcare-associated, while the rest (24; 17.4%) were community-acquired. Hematologic malignancies (odds ratio (OR):4.712, [95% CI: 2.181-10.180], P <  0.001) and previous cephalosporin administration (OR: 3.427, [95% CI: 1.513-7.766], P = 0.003) were found to be associated with the development of CRKP BSI. 28-day mortality of K. pneumoniae BSI was 8.7%. Mechanical ventilation (OR:9.502, [95% CI: 2.098-43.033], P = 0.003), septic shock (OR:6.418, [95% CI: 1.342-30.686], P = 0.020), and isolation of CRKP (OR:9.171, [95% CI: 1.546-54.416], P = 0.015) were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality of K. pneumoniae BSI. CONCLUSION: Hematologic malignancies and previous cephalosporin administration were associated with the development of CRKP BSI, while mechanical ventilation, septic shock and CRKP infection were independent mortality predictors for K. pneumoniae BSI. More attention should be paid to CRKP BSI in the paediatric population.

S100B promotes injury-induced vascular remodeling through modulating smooth muscle phenotype.

S100B is a biomarker of nervous system injury, but it is unknown if it is also involved in vascular injury. In the present study, we investigated S100B function in vascular remodeling following injury. Balloon injury in rat carotid artery progressively induced neointima formation while increasing S100B expression in both neointimal vascular smooth muscle (VSMC) and serum along with an induction of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Knockdown of S100B by its shRNA delivered by adenoviral transduction attenuated the PCNA expression and neointimal hyperplasia in vivo and suppressed PDGF-BB-induced VSMC proliferation and migration in vitro. Conversely, overexpression of S100B promoted VSMC proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, S100B altered VSMC phenotype by decreasing the contractile protein expression, which appeared to be mediated by NF-κB activity. S100B induced NF-κB-p65 gene transcription, protein expression and nuclear translocation. Blockade of NF-κB activity by its inhibitor reversed S100B-mediated downregulation of VSMC contractile protein and increase in VSMC proliferation and migration. It appeared that S100B regulated NF-κB expression through, at least partially, the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) because RAGE inhibitor attenuated S100B-mediated NF-κB promoter activity as well as VSMC proliferation. Most importantly, S100B secreted from VSMC impaired endothelial tube formation in vitro, and knockdown of S100B promoted re-endothelialization of injury-denuded arteries in vivo. These data indicated that S100B is a novel regulator for vascular remodeling following injury and may serve as a potential biomarker for vascular damage or drug target for treating proliferative vascular diseases.

Motilimonas eburnea gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from coastal sediment.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated YH6T, was isolated from marine sediment in Weihai, China. Cells of starin YH6T were motile, straight rods that formed ivory-white colonies on 2216E agar. Optimal growth occurred at 28-33 °C (range 15-37 °C), in the presence of 2-4 % (w/v) NaCl (range 1-8 %) and at pH 7.5-8.5 (range pH 6.5-9.0). The sole respiratory lipoquinone was Q-8, and the major fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH). The polar lipids profile of the novel strain consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol and several other unknown lipids (phospholipids, lipid and phosphoaminolipid). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 46.5 mol%. The closest type strain phylogenetically to strain YH6T was Vibrio variabilis (92.99 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) followed by Paramoritella alkaliphila (92.55 %), Pseudoalteromonas aurantia (92.20 %) and Pseudoalteromonas citrea (92.20 %). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence placed the novel strain in the order Alteromonadales, class Gammaproteobacteria. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence data as well as physiological and biochemical characteristics, we concluded that strain YH6T represents a novel species of a new genus. We propose the name of Motilimonas eburnea gen. nov., sp. nov. for this novel species. The type strain of the novel species is YH6T (=KCTC 42594T=MCCC 1H00122T).

Lentibacillus sediminis sp. nov., isolated from a marine saltern.

A novel, Gram-stain-positive, moderately halophilic, endospore-forming, motile, facultatively anaerobic and rod-shaped strain, designated 0W14T, was isolated from a marine saltern of Wendeng, China. Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C, pH 7.5 and with 6.0 % (w/v) NaCl. MK-7 was the sole respiratory quinone and the peptidoglycan type of 0W14T was A4ßl-Orn-d-Glu. The major cellular fatty acid (>10.0 %) in strain 0W14T was anteiso-C15 : 0. The polar lipid profile of strain 0W14T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, two unknown glycolipids and four unknown phospholipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of the strain was 44.8 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 0W14T forms a phylogenetic lineage with members of the genus Lentibacillus within the family Bacillaceae. Based on data from the current polyphasic study, the isolate is proposed to represent a novel species of genus Lentibacillus, for which the name Lentibacillus sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 0W14T (=KCTC 33835T=MCCC 1H00171T).

Rhodosalinus sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from marine saltern.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, moderately halophilic, motile, facultatively anaerobic and rod-shaped strain, designated WDN1C137T, was isolated from a marine saltern at Wendeng, PR China. Optimal growth occurred at 40 °C, pH 7.5 and with 7.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Q-10 was the sole respiratory quinone. The major cellular fatty acids (>10.0 %) in WDN1C137T were C18 : 1ω7c (46.2 %), cyclo C19 : 0ω8c (18.7 %) and C16 : 0 (12.3 %). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphoglycolipid, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentified glycolipid, one unidentified lipid, one unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified phospholipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 70.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that WDN1C137T shared the highest similarity (94.5 %) to Roseivivax jejudonensis KCTC 42110T, followed by Roseivivax halodurans JCM 10272T (94.2 %) and Roseivivax roseus DSM 23042T (94.1 %). WDN1C137T formed a separate branch from the closely related genera Roseivivax, Loktanella, Paracoccus and Cribrihabitans within the family Rhodobacteraceae, which indicated that it represented a novel genus in the phylogenetic tree. On the basis of the data from the current polyphasic study, the isolate is proposed to represent a novel species of a novel genus within the family Rhodobacteraceae, with the name Rhodosalinus sediminis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of the type species is WDN1C137T (=KCTC 52478T=MCCC 1H00170T).

Chengkuizengella sediminis gen. nov. sp. nov., isolated from sediment.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, motile, endospore-forming bacterium, designated strain J15A17T, was isolated from sediment of the South China Sea. The strain was oxidase-positive and catalase-negative. Optimal growth occurred at 33 °C, pH 7.5 and in the presence of 3 % (w/v) NaCl. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain showed closest similarity (92.8 %) to Paenibacillus puldeungensis strain CAU 9324T. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate forms a separate branch within the family Paenibacillaceae, with the genus Cohnella as the most closely related genus. The DNA G+C content of strain J15A17T was 37.4 mol%. The strain contained MK-7 as the sole respiratory quinone; anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 were the major cellular fatty acids; and its polar lipid pattern consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, glycolipid and four unidentified phospholipids. The strain displayed the peptidoglycan type A4α l-Lys-d-Asp in the cell wall. Phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and morphological differences between strain J15A17T and its closest relatives in the genera Cohnella, Fontibacillus and Paenibacillus suggest that strain J15A17T (=KCTC 33759T=MCCC 1H00137T) represents the type strain of a novel species in a new genus within the family Paenibacillaceae, Chengkuizengella sediminis gen. nov. sp. nov.

Paraliobacillus sediminis sp. nov., isolated from East China sea sediment.

A Gram-strain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile, endospore-forming, slightly halophilic bacterium, designated strain 126C4T, was isolated from sediment from the East China Sea. The strain was catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Optimal growth occurred at 28-30 °C, pH 7.0-7.5 and in the presence of 3-5 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, showed that strain 126C4T was a member of the genus Paraliobacillus, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Paraliobacillus quinghaiensis YIM-C158T and Paraliobacillus ryukyuensis O15-7T of 96.2 % and 95.3 %, repectively. The DNA G+C content was 39.6 mol%. The strain contained MK-7 as the sole respiratory quinone, anteiso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 as the major cellular fatty acids, and its polar lipid pattern comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, three glycolipids and four unknown phospholipids. On the basis of its phylogenetic position, phenotypic traits and chemotaxonomic characteristics, it is suggested that strain 126C4T represents a novel species of the genus Paraliobacillus, for which the name Paraliobacillus sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 126C4T (=KCTC 33762T=MCCC 1H00136T).