Photobacterium sanguinicancri sp. nov. isolated from marine animals.

Six strains were isolated from the hemolymph of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla, captured in Spain, and one from a diseased blue mussel, Mytilus edulis. The 16S rRNA gene sequences showed close similarity to the recently described Photobacterium swingsii (98.1 %) and to a lesser degree to Photobacterium aquimaris (97.8 %). MLSA analyses showed a monophyletic group including P. swingsii that form a new subclade. All genomic analyses (Average Nucleotide Identity, Average Amino Acid Identity, and in silico DNA-DNA) clearly separate the strains analysed from P. swingsii with values below the thresholds to delimit a new species. The phenotypic, genotypic and genomic data presented here clearly place these strains as a coherent group within the genus Photobacterium, for which we propose the name Photobacterium sanguinicancri sp. nov. Strain CAIM 1827(T) (=CECT 7579(T), =DSM 24670(T)) is proposed as the type strain of the species.

Antimicrobial properties of moderately halotolerant bacteria from cenotes of the Yucatan peninsula.

AIMS: Isolation and antimicrobial evaluation of aquatic bacterial strains from two cenotes. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 258 bacterial strains were isolated from the water and sediment of two cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula, all of which were screened against six pathogenic micro-organisms. Antimicrobial activity was detected in 46 of the isolated strains against at least one of the target strains tested. Antimicrobially active isolates were identified as: Aeromonas, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Photobacterium, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Shewanella, Stenotrophomonas genera, and 13 remained unidentified. All antimicrobially active strains were able to grow in salt medium at a concentration of 75 g l(-1), thus classifying as moderately halotolerant bacteria. Most of the antimicrobially active strains exhibited a broad action spectrum, where 61% was because of uncharacterized antimicrobial substances, 25% because of bacteriocins and 13% because of siderophores. Ten strains were able to biosynthesize biosurfactant metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: Native bacteria from the Yucatan peninsula showed an interesting antimicrobial activity, diverse mode of action and moderate halotolerance to salt. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report on bacterial isolates from cenotes of the Yucatan peninsula and their antimicrobial characterization, with great potential for future biotechnological applications.

Photobacterium rosenbergii sp. nov. and Enterovibrio coralii sp. nov., vibrios associated with coral bleaching.

Six new Vibrio-like isolates originating from different species of bleached and healthy corals around Magnetic Island (Australia) were investigated using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA, recA and rpoA gene sequences split the isolates in two new groups. Strains LMG 22223(T), LMG 22224, LMG 22225, LMG 22226 and LMG 22227 were phylogenetic neighbours of Photobacterium leiognathi LMG 4228(T) (95.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), whereas strain LMG 22228(T) was related to Enterovibrio norvegicus LMG 19839(T) (95.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The two new groups can be distinguished from closely related species on the basis of several phenotypic features, including fermentation of d-mannitol, melibiose and sucrose, and utilization of different compounds as carbon sources, arginine dihydrolase activity, nitrate reduction, resistance to the vibriostatic agent O/129 and the presence of fatty acids 15 : 0 iso and 17 : 0 iso. The names Photobacterium rosenbergii sp. nov. (type strain LMG 22223(T)=CBMAI 622(T)=CC1(T)) and Enterovibrio coralii sp. nov. (type strain LMG 22228(T)=CBMAI 623(T)=CC17(T)) are proposed to accommodate these new isolates. The G+C contents of the DNA of the two type strains are respectively 47.6 and 48.2 mol%.

Advanced oxidation of a pulp mill bleaching wastewater.

The degradation, by several advanced oxidation reactions, of a pulp mill ECF bleaching effluent, was studied. The initial biodegradability of the organic matter present in the effluent, estimated as the BOD5/COD, was low (0.3). When the effluent was submitted to ozonation and to five different advanced oxidation systems (O3/UV, O3/UV/ZnO, O3/UV/TiO2, O2/UV/ZnO, O2/UV/TiO2), the biodegradability increase significantly. After five minutes of reaction, the O3/UV system appears as the most efficient in to transform the organic matter to more biodegradable forms. A similar effect was observed when the effluent was submitted to an activated sludge treatment. The COD, TOC and toxicity reduction correlated well with the biodegradability enhancement after AOPs treatments.