Thalassospira permensis sp. nov., a new terrestrial halotolerant bacterium isolated from a naphthalene-utilizing microbial consortium.

A halotolerant bacterium, strain SMB34T, was isolated from a naphthalene-utilizing bacterial consortium obtained from primitive technogeneous soil (Vrkhnekamsk salt deposit, Perm region, Russia) by enrichment procedure. The strain itself was unable to degrade naphthalene and grew at NaCl concentrations up to 11% (w/v). The 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic analysis showed that the strain belongs to the genus Thalassospira. The DNA-DNA hybridization values between SMB34T and the type strains of phylogenetically closest species (T. xiamenensis, T. profundimaris and T. tepidiphila) did not exceed 50%. The novel strain could be distinguished from the above species by the cell motility, MALDI/TOF mass spectra of whole cells and a range of physiological and biochemical characteristics. SMB34T also considerably differs from the recently described species T. xianhensis, with the most striking differences in the DNA G + C content (53.7 +/- 1.0 vs. 61.2 +/- 1.0 mol.%) and predominant ubiquinones (Q-10 vs. Q-9). The data obtained suggest strain SMB34T (=VKM B-2527T = NBRC 106175T), designated as the type strain, represents a novel species, named Thalassospira permensis sp. nov.

Heterogeneous set of cell wall teichoic acids in strains of Bacillus subtilis VKM B-760 and VKM B-764.

Cell walls of Bacillus subtilis VKM B-760 and VKM B-764 are characterized by heterogeneous composition of teichoic acids. Polymer I with structure -6)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->1)-sn-Gro-(3-P-, polymer II with structure -6)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->1)-sn-Gro-(3-P-, and a small amount of unsubstituted 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) were detected in strain VKM B-760. Strain VKM B-764 contains an analogous set of teichoic acids, but a characteristic feature of polymer II is the presence of disubstituted glycerol residue with alpha-glucopyranose localization in the integral chain at C-1 hydroxyl and beta-glucopyranose as a side branch at C-2 hydroxyl (polymer III): -6)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->1)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1-->2)]-sn-Gro-(3-P-. The structures of polymer I in bacilli and polymer III in Gram-positive bacteria are described for the first time. Teichoic acids were studied by chemical methods and on the basis of combined analysis of one-dimensional 1H-, 13C-, and (31)P-NMR spectra, homonuclear two-dimensional (1)H/(1)H COSY, TOCSY, and ROESY, and heteronuclear two-dimensional (1)H/(13)C gHSQC- and HMQC-TOCSY experiments. Simultaneous presence of several different structure teichoic acids in the bacillus cell walls as well as chemotaxonomical perspectives of the application of these polymers as species-specific markers for members of the Bacillus genus is discussed.

[Salinicola socius gen. nov., sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium from a naphthalene-utilizing microbial association].

A chemoorganotrophic, moderately halophilic bacterium (strain SMB35) has been isolated from a naphthalene-utilizing microbial community obtained from salt mines (Perm region of Russia). Strain SMB35 grows in a wide salinity range, 0.5 to 30% (wt/vol) NaCl. Cells are gram-negative rods motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The predominant fatty acids are 16:1omega7, 16:0, 18:1omega7, and 19 cy. The major lipoquinone is an unsaturated ubiquinone with nine isoprene units (Q-9). The DNA G+C content is 63.0 mol%. The 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis has shown that strain SMB35 formed a separate clade in the cluster of the family Halomonadaceae. The 16S rDNA sequence similarity of the isolate to the members of the family is in the range from 90.6% to 95.1%. The phylogenetic and phenotypic differences from Halomonas elongata (the type species of the genus) and from other members of the family suggest that the isolate represents a novel genus and species, for which the name Salinicola socius gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SMB35(T) (=VKM B-2397(T)).