Sphingobium yanoikuyae Bacteremia, Japan.

We report a case of Sphingobium yanoikuyae bacteremia in an 89-year-old patient in Japan. No standard antimicrobial regimen has been established for S. yanoikuyae infections. However, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime treatments were effective in this case. Increased antimicrobial susceptibility data are needed to establish appropriate treatments for S. yanoikuyae.

Novosphingobium percolationis sp. nov. and Novosphingobium huizhouense sp. nov., isolated from landfill leachate of a domestic waste treatment plant.

Two strains designated as c1T and c7T, were isolated from the landfill leachate of a domestic waste treatment plant in Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, PR China. The cells of both strains were aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile and formed yellow colonies on Reasoner's 2A agar plates. Strain c1T grew at 10-42 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 4.5-10.5 (optimum, pH 7.0) and 0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-0.5 %). Strain c7T grew at 10-42 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 4.5-10.5 (optimum, pH 6.0) and 0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-0.5 %). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that strains c1T and c7T belong to the genus Novosphingobium. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of strains c1T and c7T to the type strains of Novosphingobium species were 94.5-98.2 % and 94.3-99.1 %, respectively. The calculated pairwise average nucleotide identity values among strains c1T, c7T and the reference strains were in the range of 75.2-85.9 % and the calculated pairwise average amino acid identity values among strains c1T, c7T and reference strains were in the range of 72.0-88.3 %. Their major respiratory quinone was Q-10, and the major cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1 ω7c, C18 : 0, C16 : 1 ω7c, C16 : 0 and C14 : 0 2OH. The major polar lipids of strains c1T and c7T were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipid, unidentified lipids and unidentified phospholipid. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and genomic results from this study, strains c1T and c7T should represent two independent novel species of Novosphingobium, for which the names Novosphingobium percolationis sp. nov. (type strain c1T=GDMCC 1.2555T=KCTC 82826T) and Novosphingobium huizhouense sp. nov. (type strain c7T=GDMCC 1.2556T=KCTC 82827T) are proposed. The gene function annotation results of strains c1T and c7T suggest that they could play an important role in the degradation of organic pollutants.

Stakelama flava sp. nov., a novel endophytic bacterium isolated from a branch of Kandelia candel.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, non-spore-forming, short-rod-shaped strain that did not produce diffusible pigment, designated CBK3Z-3T, was isolated from a branch of Kandelia candel, collected from the Beilun Estuary National Nature Reserve in Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region, PR China, and investigated by a polyphasic approach to determine its taxonomic position. Strain CBK3Z-3T grew at pH 5.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 8.0), 20-37 °C (optimum, 25-30 °C) and with 0-10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2-3 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain CBK3Z-3T was closely related to species of genus Stakelama and had the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 98.7 % to Stakelama pacifica CGMCC 1.7294T. The DNA G+C content value of strain CBK3Z-3T was 62.6 mol%. The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid and the polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified aminolipid and an unidentified lipid. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1 ω7c and C16 : 0. The average nucleotide identity, estimated digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average amino acid identity values between strain CBK3Z-3T and the type strain of Stakelama pacifica CGMCC 1.7294T were 80.4, 23.1 and 81.5 %, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain CBK3Z-3T should be designated as a novel species of the genus Stakelama, for which the name Stakelama flava sp.nov. is proposed. The type strain is CBK3Z-3T (=JCM 34534T=CGMCC 1.18972T).

Novosphingobium olei sp. nov., with the ability to degrade diesel oil, isolated from oil-contaminated soil and proposal to reclassify Novosphingobium stygium as a later heterotypic synonym of Novosphingobium aromaticivorans.

Two yellow-pigmented, non-motile, Gram-stain-negative, and rod-shaped bacteria, designated TW-4T and TNP-2 were obtained from oil-contaminated soil. Both strains degrade diesel oil, hydrolyse aesculin, DNA, Tween 40 and Tween 60. A phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain TW-4T formed a lineage within the family Erythrobacteraceae and clustered as members of the genus Novosphingobium. The closest members of strain TW-4T were Novosphingobium subterraneum DSM 12447T (97.9 %, sequence similarity), Novosphingobium lubricantis KSS165-70T (97.8 %), Novosphingobium taihuense T3-B9T (97.8 %), Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM 12444T (97.7 %), Novosphingobium flavum UCT-28T (97.7 %), and Novosphingobium bradum STM-24T (97.6 %). The sequence similarity for other members was ≤97.6 %. The genome of strain TW-4T was 4 683 467 bp long with 44 scaffolds and 4280 protein-coding genes. The sole respiratory quinone was Q-10. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), C16 : 0 and C14 : 0 2-OH. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidyl-n-methylethanolamine (PME) and sphingoglycolipid (SGL). The DNA G+C content of the type strain was 65.0 %. The average nucleotide identity (ANIu) and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) relatedness values between strain TW-4T and closest members were below the threshold value for species delineation. Based on polyphasic taxonomic analyses, strain TW-4T represents novel species in the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium olei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TW-4T (=KACC 21628T=NBRC 114364T) and strain TNP-2 (=KACC 21629=NBRC 114365) represents an additional strain. Based on new data obtained in this study, it is also proposed to reclassify Novosphingobium stygium as a later heterotypic synonym of Novosphingobium aromaticivorans.

Sphingosinicella flava sp. nov., indole acetic acid producing bacteria isolated from maize field soil.

A novel isolated yellow-pigmented bacterial designated strain UDD2T was isolated from a maize field soil sample collected in Ilsan, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain UDD2T were Gram-stain-negative, non-sporulating, long rod-shaped and exhibited flagellar motility. Cells could grow at 15-42 °C and pH 5.5-11.0. Strain UDD2T was sensitive to NaCl and barely tolerated up to 1 % NaCl (w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain UDD2T formed a separate clade with the members of genus Sphingosinicella within the family Sphingomonadaceae. Strain UDD2T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Sphingosinicella vermicomposti KCTC 224446T (98.5 %) and Sphingosinicella humi KCTC 62519T (96.7 %), followed by members of the genus Sphingomonas (96.4-94.5 %) and Sphingobium (96.1-94.9 %), but they were located in other phylogenetic clusters. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain UDD2T and S. vermicomposti KCTC 224446T and S. humi KCTC 62519T were 80.2/24.2 and 75.6/20.4 %, respectively. The total size of the genome was 2 421 697 bp and composed of one circular chromosome, with a G+C content of 63.7 mol%. Strain UDD2T produced indole acetic acid (IAA) in the presence of l-tryptophan. Bacterial IAA is a crucial phytohormone in plant growth and development. Gene clusters for indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase and tryptophan synthase were found in the genome of strain UDD2T. To the best of our knowledge, no member of the genus Sphingosinicella has been reported to produce IAA to date. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were found to be C16 : 0, C14 : 0 2OH and summed feature 3 (comprising C16  : 1 ω7c and/or iso-C15  :  0 2-OH). Strain UDD2T had ubiquinone Q-10 as the major respiratory quinone and homospermidine as the major polyamine. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, three unidentified phosphoglycolipids, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminoglycophospholipid, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified polar lipid. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain UDD2T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingosinicella, for which the name Sphingosinicella flava is proposed. The type strain is UDD2T (=KCTC 82357T=NBRC 114507T).

Description of Novosphingopyxis iocasae sp. nov., isolated from deep sea sediment from the Mariana Trench, and emended description of the genus Novosphingopyxis.

In this study, we reported a Gram-stain-negative, orange-coloured, rod-shaped, motile and faculatively anaerobic bacterium named strain PB63T, which was isolated from the deep-sea sediment from the Mariana Trench. Growth of PB63T occurred at 10-35 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 5.0-8.0 (optimum, 5.0-6.0) and with 0-7 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2-3 %). The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that PB63T represented a member of the genus Novosphingopyxis and was closely related to Novosphingopyxis baekryungensis DSM 16222T (97.9 % sequence similarity). PB63T showed tolerance to a variety of heavy metals, including Co2+, Zn2+, Mn2+ and Cu2+. The complete genome of PB63T was obtained, and many genes involved in heavy metal resistance were found. The genomic DNA G+C content of PB63T was 62.8 mol%. The predominant respiratory quinone of PB63T was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10). The polar lipids of PB63T contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, glycolipid, phosphatidylcholines and three unidentified lipids. The major fatty acids of PB63T included summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c or/and C18 : 1ω6c), C14 : 0 2-OH, 11-methyl C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C17 : 1ω6c. The results of phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and morphological analyses indicated that strain PB63T represents a novel species of the genus Novosphingopyxis, and the name Novosphingopyxis iocasae sp. nov. is proposed with the type species PB63T (=CCTCC AB 2019195T=JCM 34178T).

Parasphingopyxis marina sp. nov. isolated from coastal seawater.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, yellow-pigmented and non-motile rod-shaped bacterium, designated as GrpM-11T, was isolated from coastal seawater collected from the East Sea, Republic of Korea. Strain GrpM-11T could grow at 10-40 °C (optimum, 35 °C), at pH 5.5-9.5 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3-4 %). Cells hydrolysed aesculin, gelatin and casein, but could not reduce nitrate to nitrite. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that this strain formed a distinct phylogenic lineage with Parasphingopyxis algicola ATAX6-5T (96.2 % sequence identity) and Parasphingopyxis lamellibrachiae DSM 26725T (96.2 % identity) and belonged to the genus Parasphingopyxis. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipid profile of strain GrpM-11T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid and three unknown glycolipids. Cellular fatty acid analysis indicated that summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c; 42.8 %), C16 : 0 (19.0 %), C18 : 1 ω7c 11-methyl (13.3 %) and C18 : 1 ω7c (8.0 %) were the major fatty acids. The DNA G+C content of strain GrpM-11T was 63.7 mol%. Through whole genome sequence comparisons, the digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain GrpM-11T and two species of the genus Parasphingopyxis were revealed to be in the ranges of 19.0-22.0 % and 76.3-79.7 %, respectively. Based on the results of polyphasic analysis, strain GrpM-11T represents a novel species of the genus Parasphingopyxis, for which the name Parasphingopyxis marina sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GrpM-11T (KCCM 43343T=JCM 34665T).

Sandaracinobacter neustonicus sp. nov., isolated from the sea surface microlayer in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, and emended description of the genus Sandaracinobacter.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated PAMC 28131T, was isolated from a sea surface microlayer sample in the open water of the Pacific Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain PAMC 28131T revealed an affiliation to the genus Sandaracinobacter with the closest species Sandaracinobacter sibiricus RB16-17T (sequence similarity of 98.2 %). Strain PAMC 28131T was able to grow optimally with 0.5-1.0 % NaCl and at pH 6.5-7.0 and 30 °C. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified lipid. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c, (42.6 %), C17 : 1 ω6c (19.3 %) and C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c (15.8 %), and the respiratory quinone was Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content was 65.3 mol%. The phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data showed that strain PAMC 28131T could be clearly distinguished from S. sibiricus RB16-17T. Thus, strain PAMC 28131T should be classified as representing a novel species in the genus Sandaracinobacter, for which the name Sandaracinobacter neustonicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PAMC 28131T (=KCCM 43127T=JCM 30734T).

Novosphingobium silvae sp. nov., isolated from subtropical forest soil.

A novel bacterial strain, designated FGD1T, was isolated from subtropical forest soil of the Nanling National Forest Park located in Guangdong Province, P.R. China. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain FGD1T was most closely related to Novosphingobium lindaniclasticum DSM 25049T (98.8 %), followed by N. barchaimii DSM 25411T (98.7 %), N. guangzhouense DSM 32207T (98.2 %), N. panipatense DSM 22890T (98.1 %) and other species of Novosphingobium (<98 %). The draft genome sequence was 4.58 Mb in length with a G+C content of 65.1 mol%. The calculated average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain FGD1T and closely related type strains were 77.7‒79.6 % and 21.7-22.9 %, respectively. Major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), C14 : 0 2-OH and C16 : 0. The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone 10 and the major polyamine was spermidine. Polar lipids were composed of sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified phospholipid and lipid. The polyphasic taxonomic results indicated that strain FGD1T represents a novel species of the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium silvae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FGD1T (=GDMCC 1.1761T=KACC 21283T).

Sphingorhabdus lacus sp. nov. and Sphingorhabdus profundilacus sp. nov., isolated from freshwater environments.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile bacteria, designated IMCC1753T and IMCC26285T, were isolated from a shallow eutrophic pond and a deep oligotrophic lake, respectively. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the two strains shared 99.8 % sequence similarity and were most closely related to Sphingorhabdus contaminans JC216T(98.7-98.8 %). The whole genome sequences of strains IMCC1753T and IMCC26285T were 3.5 and 2.9 Mbp in size with 56.6 and 55.5 mol% DNA G+C content, respectively. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the two strains were 82.2 and 25.8 %, respectively, indicating that they are separate species. The two strains showed ≤98.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities and ≤82.2 % ANI and ≤28.7 % dDDH values to closely related species of the genus Sphingorhabdus, indicating that the two strains each represent novel species. Major fatty acid constituents of strain IMCC1753T were C17 : 1 ω6c, C17 : 1 ω8c and summed features 3 (C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c) and 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c and/or C18 : 1 ω7c); those of strain IMCC26285T were summed features 3 and 8. The predominant isoprenoid quinone detected in both strains was ubiquinone-10 and the most abundant polyamine was spermidine. Both strains contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and sphingoglycolipid as major polar lipids. On the basis of the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strains IMCC1753T and IMCC26285T were considered to represent two distinct novel species in the genus Sphingorhabdus, for which the names Sphingorhabdus lacus (IMCC1753T=KCTC 52480T=KACC 18985T=NBRC 112442T) and Sphingorhabdus profundilacus (IMCC26285T=KCTC 52479T=KACC 18986T=NBRC 112454T) are proposed, respectively.

Erythrobacter insulae sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, non-motile and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated as JBTF-M21T, was isolated from a tidal flat sediment on the Yellow Sea, Republic of Korea. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that JBTF-M21T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Erythrobacter. JBTF-M21T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.0-98.4 % to the type strains of Erythrobacter longus, Erythrobacter aquimaris, Erythrobacter nanhaisediminis, Erythrobacter vulgaris, Erythrobacter seohaensis, Erythrobacter litoralis and Erythrobacter citreus and 93.7-96.6 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Erythrobacter. The ANI and dDDH values between JBTF-M21T and the type strains of E. longus, E. nanhaisediminis, E. seohaensis and E. litoralis were 70.83-72.93 % and 18.0-18.8 %, respectively. Mean DNA-DNA relatedness values between JBTF-M21T and the type strains of E. aquimaris, E. vulgaris and E. citreus were 12-24 %. The DNA G+C content of JBTF-M21T was 57.0 mol%. JBTF-M21T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c and C17 : 1ω6c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids ofJBTF-M21T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and sphingoglycolipid. Distinguishing phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that JBTF-M21T is separated from species of the genus Erythrobacter with validly published names. On the basis of the data presented, strain JBTF-M21T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Erythrobacter, for which the name Erythrobacter insulae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JBTF-M21T (=KACC 19864T=NBRC 113584T).

Novosphingobium umbonatum sp. nov., isolated from a freshwater mesocosm.

A bacterial strain designated FSY-9T was isolated from a freshwater mesocosm in Taiwan and characterized to determine its taxonomic affiliation. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain FSY-9T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Novosphingobium. Strain FSY-9T was most closely related to Novosphingobium humi R1-4T with a 97.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Strain FSY-9T showed 71.3-72.6 % average nucleotide identity and 17.7-23.0 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the strains of other Novosphingobium species. Cells of strain FSY-9T were facultatively anaerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile and formed light yellow coloured colonies. Growth occurred at 15-37 °C and pH 5.5-7, and in the presence of 0-0.5 % NaCl. The major fatty acids (>10 %) of strain FSY-9T were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C18 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0. The polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, an uncharacterized aminophospholipid, an uncharacterized glycolipid and an uncharacterized lipid. The major polyamine was spermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The DNA G+C content was 61.5 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain FSY-9T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium umbonatum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FSY-9T (=BCRC 81052T=LMG 30054T=KCTC 52813T).

Sphingorhabdus soli sp. nov., isolated from Arctic soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped and non-motile bacterial strain, designated D-2Q-5-6T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from the Arctic region. Strain D-2Q-5-6T was found to grow at 10-43 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (pH 7.0) and in 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl (0-1 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain D-2Q-5-6T fell into the genus Sphingorhabdus and shared less than 95.8 % identity with all type strains of recognized species of this genus. The major cellular fatty acids of strain D-2Q-5-6T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c; 31.4 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c; 26.8 %) and C14 : 0 2OH (11.7 %). The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and sphingoglycolipid. The predominant quinone was identified as Q10. The DNA G+C content of strain D-2Q-5-6T was 64.5 mol%. Based on the results of phylogenetic analysis and distinctive phenotypic characteristics, strain D-2Q-5-6T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingorhabdus, for which the name Sphingorhabdus soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is D-2Q-5-6T (=MCCC 1A06070T=KCTC 52311T).

Polymorphobacter arshaanensis sp. nov., containing the photosynthetic gene pufML, isolated from a volcanic lake.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, yellowish, rod-shaped bacterium, designated DJ1R-1T, was isolated from water sample from a volcanic lake, located on Da Hinggan Ling Mountain, PR China. Growth of DJ1R-1T optimally occurred at pH 7.0, at 22-25 °C and with 0-0.5 % (w/v) NaCl concentration. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that DJ1R-1T was clustered into the genus Polymorphobacter, and showed 96.5 %, 95.9 % and 95.6 % similarities to Polymorphobacter fuscus D40PT, Polymorphobacter multimanifer 262-7T and Polymorphobacter glacialis B555-2T, respectively. The predominant polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminophospholipid, three unidentified aminolipids and one unidentified phospholipid. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c / C18 : 1ω6c, 40.0 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c / C16 : 1ω6c, 25.6 %) and C16 : 0 (13.7 %). The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The DNA G+C content was 65.0 % according to the genomic sequencing results. On the basis of the results of the phylogenetic analysis, physiological and biochemical properties comparisons, DJ1R-1T was proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Polymorphobacter, with the name Polymorphobacter arshaanensis. The type strain is DJ1R-1T (=CGMCC 1.13788T=KCTC 72014T).

Novosphingobium aquimarinum sp. nov., isolated from seawater.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and rod-shaped bacterial strain, M24A2MT, was isolated from seawater in the Republic of Korea. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, strain M24A2MT was found to be closely related to Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1T and Novosphingobium mathurense SM117T with pair-wise sequence similarities of 97.4 and 96.9 %, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences indicated that M24A2MT formed a branch with Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1T and represented a member of the genus Novosphingobium. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C14 : 0 2-OH, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The polar lipids of strain M24A2MT consisted mainly of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentified phospholipid, and two unidentified lipids. The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content was 63.9 %. Given the phenotypic characteristics along with the phylogenetic distinctness and chemotaxonomic features, strain M24A2MT is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium aquimarinum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Novosphingobium aquimarinum sp. nov. is M24A2MT (=KCTC 72894T=JCM 33983T).

Sphingobium algorifonticola sp. nov., isolated from a cold spring.

Strain TLA-22T, isolated from a cold spring in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate-accumulating, motile by means of a single polar flagellum, rod-shaped and formed bright yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 20-25 °C, pH 6-6.5, and in the presence of 0.5 % NaCl. The major fatty acids of TLA-22T were C18 : 1 ω7 c and C17 : 1ω6c. The predominant hydroxy fatty acids were C15 : 0 2-OH and C14 : 0 2-OH. The polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified aminophospholipid, an unidentified phospholipid and three unidentified lipids. TLA-22T contained spermidine as the major polyamine and putrescine as the minor component. The only isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content of TLA-22T was 63.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that TLA-22T was a mem,ber of a phylogenetic lineage including members of the genus Sphingobium. TLA-22T was most closely related to Sphingobium aromaticiconvertens RW16T, with a 97.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. TLA-22T showed 74.8-75.7 % average nucleotide identity and 20.1-22.0 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the strains of other species of the genus Sphingobium. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain TLA-22T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Sphingobium, for which the name Sphingobium algorifonticola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TLA-22T (=BCRC 81097T =LMG 30309T=KCTC 62189T).

Sphingobium fluviale sp. nov., isolated from a river.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate-accumulating and aerobic bacterial strain, designated CHR27T, was isolated and characterized by using the polyphasic taxonomy approach. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of an up-to-date bacterial core gene set (92 protein clusters) indicated that strain CHR27T is affiliated with species in the genus Sphingobium. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity results indicated that strain CHR27T was closely related to species of the genus Sphingobium (94.3-97.0 %), and had the highest sequence similarity to Sphingobium qiguonii X23T (97.0 %). Strain CHR27T showed 19.4-22.1 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization values and 73.2-74.8 % average nucleotide identity values with the strains of other Sphingobium species. Optimal growth occurred at 25 °C, pH 7.5 and in the absence of NaCl. The major fatty acids of strain CHR27T were C18 : 1ω7c and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c). The predominant hydroxy fatty acid was C14 : 0 2-OH. The polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, two unidentified sphingoglycolipids and an unidentified aminophospholipid. Strain CHR27T contained spermidine as the major polyamine and putrescine as a minor component. The only isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-10. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain CHR27Twas 61.8 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, strain CHR27T was considered a representative of a novel species within the genus Sphingobium. The name Sphingobium fluviale sp. nov. is proposed, with strain CHR27T (=BCRC 81121T=LMG 30596T=KCTC 62510T) as the type strain.

Sphingobium estronivorans sp. nov. and Sphingobium bisphenolivorans sp. nov., isolated from a wastewater treatment plant.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile and rod-shaped bacteria, one designated as strain AXBT, capable of degrading estrogens, and another, YL23T, capable of degrading estrogen and bisphenol A, were isolated from activated sludge in Xiamen City, PR China. The optimum temperature and pH of both strains were 25-35 °C and pH 7.0-8.0. While strain AXBT could tolerate 3 % (w/v) NaCl, YL23T could only grow between 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl. They contained ubiquinone-10 as the major quinone, spermidine as the major polyamine, summed feature 8 (comprising C18:1ω6c and/or C18:1ω7c) as the major fatty acids and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and sphingoglycolipid as the major polar lipids. The DNA G+C contents of strains AXBT and YL23T were 63.6 and 63.7 mol%, respectively. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strains AXBT and YL23T belonged to the genus Sphingobium. Strain AXBT was most closely related to Sphingobium chlorophenolicum NBRC 16172T (97.5 %) and Sphingobium chungbukense DJ77T (97.2 %), and strain YL23T was most closely related to S. chlorophenolicum NBRC 16172T (97.4 %) and S. quisquiliarum P25T (97.1 %). Average nucleotide identity values between these two strains and S. chlorophenolicum NBRC 16172T, S. chungbukense DJ77T, Sphingobium chinhatense IP26T, Sphingobium quisquiliarum P25T and Sphingobium japonicum UT26ST were from 80.7 to 85.8 %. In conclusion, strains AXBT and YL23T represent novel species of the genus Sphingobium, for which the names Sphingobium estronivorans sp. nov. and Sphingobium bisphenolivorans sp. nov. are proposed, respectively. The type strains of S. estronivorans and S. bisphenolivorans are AXBT (=MCCC 1K01232T=DSM 102173T) and YL23T (=MCCC 1K02300T=DSM 102172T), respectively.

Sphingosinithalassobacter tenebrarum sp. nov., isolated from a deep-sea cold seep.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, yellow-pigmented, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated zrk23T, was isolated from a deep-sea cold seep. The strain was characterized by a polyphasic approach to clarify its taxonomic position. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed zrk23T within the genus Sphingosinithalassobacter and showed the highest similarity to Sphingosinithalassobacter portus FM6T (97.93 %). Growth occurs at temperatures from 16 to 45 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH values between pH 6.0 and 8.5 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in 0-5.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.5 %). The major fatty acids were C16 : 0, C14 : 0 2-OH and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c). The major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-10. Predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified phosphoglycolipid, three unidentified glycolipids and three unidentified phospholipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 64.69 %. The average nucleotide identity values between zrk23T and the most closely related available genome, of Sphingosinithalassobacter portus FM6T, was 82.21 %, indicating that zrk23T was clearly distinguished from S. portus. The analysis of genome sequence of zrk23T revealed that there were many genes associated with degradation of aromatic compounds existing in the genome of zrk23T. As a result of the combination of the results of phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, zrk23T was considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingosinithalassobacter, for which the name Sphingosinithalassobacter tenebrarum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is zrk23T (=KCTC 72896T=MCCC 1K04416T).

Novosphingobium ovatum sp. nov., isolated from a freshwater mesocosm.

A bacterial strain, designated FSY-8T, was isolated from a freshwater mesocosm in Taiwan and characterized using the polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of strain FSY-8T were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile and formed yellow coloured colonies on Reasoner's 2A agar. Growth occurred at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30-37 °C) and pH 5-7 (optimum, pH 6) and in the presence of 0-0.5 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %, w/v). The major fatty acids (>10 %) of strain FSY-8T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c). The polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, an uncharacterized aminophospholipid, an uncharacterized glycolipid and an uncharacterized lipid. The major polyamine was spermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The DNA G+C content was 64.8 mol %. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain FSY-8T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Novosphingobium. Strain FSY-8T showed 71.6-77.2 % average nucleotide identity and 19.9-22.8 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the strains of other Novosphingobium species. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain FSY-8T should be classified in a novel species of the genus Novosphingobium, for which the name Novosphingobium ovatum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FSY-8T (=BCRC 81051T=LMG 30053T=KCTC 52812T).