Sphingobacterium faecale sp. nov., a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacterium isolated from camel faeces.

An investigation of the diversity of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacteria associated with camel faeces revealed the presence of a novel bacterial strain designated C459-1T. It was Gram-stain-negative, short-rod-shaped and non-motile. Strain C459-1T was observed to grow optimally at 35 °C, at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 0 % NaCl on Luria-Bertani agar medium. The cells were found to be positive for catalase and oxidase activities. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were identified as iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The major polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, one sphingophospholipid, two unknown aminophospholipids, three unknown glycolipids and five unknown lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 40.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain C459-1T was affiliated with the genus Sphingobacterium and had the highest sequence similarity to Sphingobacterium tabacisoli h337T (97.0 %) and Sphingobacterium paucimobilis HER1398T (95.6 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain C459-1T and S. tabacisoli h337T were 83.8 and 33.8 %, respectively. Phenotypic characteristics including enzyme activities and carbon source utilization differentiated strain C459-1T from other Sphingobacterium species. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain C459-1T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium faecale sp. nov. is proposed, with strain is C459-1T (CGMCC 1.18716T=KCTC 82381T) as the type strain.

Sphingobacterium micropteri sp. nov. and Sphingobacterium litopenaei sp. nov., isolated from aquaculture water.

Two novel bacterial strains, designated as DN00404T and DN04309T, were isolated from aquaculture water and characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Cells of strains DN00404T and DN04309T were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, oxidase-positive and catalase-positive. Cells of DN00404T were short rod-shaped and those of DN04309T were long rod-shaped. Strain DN00404T was found to grow at 15-37 °C (optimum, 25-30 °C), at pH 6.0-11.0 (optimum, pH 7.5) and in 0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0 %). Strain DN04309T was found to grow at 15-45 °C (optimum, 20-37 °C), at pH 5.5-11.0 (optimum, 7.5) and in 0-4.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.5 %). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences revealed that the two strains belonged to the genus Sphingobacterium and were distinct from all known species of this genus. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the two strains and between each of the two strains and related type strains of this genus were well below the recognized thresholds of 95.0-96.0 % ANI and 70.0 % dDDH for species delineation. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains DN00404T and DN04309T were 41.6 and 36.0 mol%, respectively. The respiratory quinone in both strains was identified as MK-7, and their major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c), which were similar to those of other species of this genus. The two major fatty acids C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH were also found in strain DN00404T. Based on genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, two novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium are proposed: Sphingobacterium micropteri sp. nov. with DN00404T (=GDMCC 1.1865T=KACC 21924T) as the type strain and Sphingobacterium litopenaei sp. nov. with DN04309T (=GDMCC 1.1984T=KCTC 82348T) as the type strain.

Sphingobacterium hungaricum sp. nov. a novel species on the borderline of the genus Sphingobacterium.

A Gram-reaction-negative bacterial strain, designated Kb22T, was isolated from agricultural soil and characterized using a polyphasic approach to determine its taxonomic position. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain shows highest similarity (94.39 %) to Sphingobacterium nematocida M-SX103T. The highest average nucleotide identity value (71.83 %) was found with Sphingobacterium composti T5-12T, and the highest amino acid identity value (66.65 %) was found with Sphingobacterium olei HAL-9T. Cells are aerobic, non-motile rods. The isolate was found to be positive for catalase and oxidase tests. The assembled genome of strain Kb22T has a total length of 4,06 Mb, the DNA G+C content is 38.1 mol%. The only isoprenoid quinone is menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The major fatty acids are iso-C15:0 (28.4%), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH) (25.7 %) and iso-C17:0 3-OH (19.7 %). Based on phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic results, it is concluded that strain Kb22T is a member of the genus Sphingobacterium and represents a novel species for which the name Sphingobacterium hungaricum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is strain Kb22T (=LMG 31574T=NCAIM B.02638T).

Sphingobacterium prati sp. nov., isolated from agricultural soil and involved in lignocellulose deconstruction.

A bacterial strain, arapr2T, was isolated from agricultural soil sampled in Reims, France. Based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence, the strain was affiliated to the family Sphingobacteriaceae and more specifically to the genus Sphingobacterium. The strain had 98.31 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to its closest relative Sphingobacterium canadense CR11T and 98.25 % to Sphingobacterium pakistanensis NCCP-246T. Genome relatedness indexes revealed that the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between arapr2T and its closest relative (S. canadense CR11T) were 92.97 % and 52.00 %, respectively; for S. pakistanensis NCCP-246T, the ANI and dDDH values were 82.46 and 27.6%, respectively. The genomic DNA of strain arapr2T was 6.02 Mbp long, had a DNA G+C content of 40.4 mol% and had 5504 protein-coding genes. The results obtained in this study suggests that strain arapr2T (CIP 111872T=LMG 31848T) represents a new species for which the name Sphingobacterium prati sp. nov. is proposed. Due to the fact that this strain has been isolated using wheat straw as carbon source, this novel bacterial strain represents a promising biotechnological tool for the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass in the context of biorefinery development.

Sphingobacterium lumbrici sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from wormcast of Eisenia foetida.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, yellowish bacterium, designated strain 1.3611T, was isolated from the wormcast of Eisenia foetida. The strain grew optimally at 30-37 ℃, at pH 7.0 and with 0-1.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analyses, strain 1.3611T showed the highest degree of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Sphingobacterium olei HAL-9T (97.0 %), followed by Sphingobacterium alkalisoli Y3L14T (95.8 %). The respiratory quinone of strain 1.3611T was menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and its major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (41.3 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c, 22.1 %) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (16.2 %). The major polar lipids were sphingophospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified glycolipids, two unidentified phospholipids and five unidentified polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 39.0 mol%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between the genomes of strain 1.3611T and S. olei HAL-9T were 37.9 and 88.9 %, respectively. According to the phenotypic and chemotaxonomic phylogenetic results, strain 1.3611T should represent a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium lumbrici sp. nov. is proposed, with strain 1.3611T (=KCTC 62980T=CCTCC AB 2018349T) as the type strain.

Sphingobacterium phlebotomi sp. nov., a new member of family Sphingobacteriaceae isolated from sand fly rearing substrate.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, non-spore-forming, aerobic bacterium, designated type strain SSI9T, was isolated from sand fly (Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli; Diptera: Psychodidae) rearing substrate and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Strain SSI9T contained phosphatidylethanolamine as a major polar lipid, MK-7 as the predominant quinone, and C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and C16 : 0 as the major cellular fatty acids. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that SSI9T represents a member of the genus Sphingobacterium, of the family Sphingobacteriaceae sharing 96.5-88.0 % sequence similarity with other species of the genus Sphingobacterium. The results of multilocus sequence analysis using the concatenated sequences of the housekeeping genes recA, rplC and groL indicated that SSI9T formed a separate branch in the genus Sphingobacterium. The genome of SSI9T is 5 197 142 bp with a DNA G+C content of 41.8 mol% and encodes 4395 predicted coding sequences, 49 tRNAs, and three complete rRNAs and two partial rRNAs. SSI9T could be distinguished from other species of the genus Sphingobacterium with validly published names by several phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic characteristics. On the basis of the results of this polyphasic taxonomic analysis, the bacterial isolate represents a novel species within the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium phlebotomi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SSI9T (=ATCC TSD-210T=LMG 31664T=NRRL B-65603T).

A rare case of endophthalmitis after bleb needle revision for glaucoma Xen® gel stent.

PURPOSE: To describe the first case of endophthalmitis caused by Sphingobacterium spiritivorum, a glucose non-fermenting Gram-negative rod, in a patient previously implanted with a Xen® gel stent. CASE REPORT DESCRIPTION: An 83-year-old patient, affected by open-angle glaucoma and with a previous surgery of combined cataract extraction and Xen gel stent implantation, developed endophthalmitis 1 month after bleb needle revision with 5-fluorouracil injection. At presentation, best corrected visual acuity was hand movement, hypopyon was evident into the anterior chamber and a flat bleb with no sign of leakage was present over the Xen gel implant. OUTCOME: Immediate pars plana vitrectomy was performed, with intravitreal antibiotic administration and silicon oil tamponade. S. spiritivorum was isolated from vitreous bacterial culture. According to the antibiogram, patient was treated with topical fortified ceftazidime eyedrops and appropriate systemic antibiotics (intravenous meropenem, 500 mg every 8 h for 7 days, followed by oral cotrimoxazole, 160 + 800 mg, twice a day for 10 days). After 2 weeks of treatment, ocular inflammation was resolved, best corrected visual acuity was 0.1 (Snellen chart) and intraocular pressure was 18 mm Hg without topical hypotensive therapy. CONCLUSION: S. spiritivorum was isolated for the first time as a causative agent of endophthalmitis in humans. Bleb needle revision in patients with Xen gel implant is not free of complications, and an attentive follow-up is required.

Bacteremia Secondary to Uncommon Gram-Negative Bacilli Transmitted From the Canine in a Patient With Multiple Myeloma.

Sphingobacterium multivorum is a gram-negative rod found in the environment and rarely associated with human infections. Sphingobacterium is the causative agent of infections in an immunocompromised host in most cases. We report a rare case of cellulitis in an immunocompromised host by Sphingobacterium multivorum.

Sphingomonas corticis sp. nov., and Sphingobacterium corticibacterium sp. nov., from bark canker.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile bacterial strains, 36D10-4-7T and 30C10-4-7T, were isolated from bark canker tissue of Populus × euramericana, respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain 36D10-4-7T shows 98.0 % sequence similarity to Sphingomonas adhaesiva DSM 7418T, and strain 30C10-4-7T shows highest sequence similarity to Sphingobacterium arenae H-12T (95.6 %). Average nucleotide identity analysis indicates that strain 36D10-4-7T is a novel member different from recognized species in the genus Sphingomonas. The main fatty acids and respiratory quinone detected in strain 36D10-4-7T are C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c and Q-10, respectively. The polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, aminolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, two uncharacterized phospholipids and two uncharacterized lipids. For strain 30C10-4-7T, the major fatty acids and menaquinone are iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and MK-7, respectively. The polar lipid profile includes phosphatidylethanolamine, phospholipids, two aminophospholipids and six unidentified lipids. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, these two strains represent two novel species within the genera Sphingomonas and Sphingobacterium. The name Sphingomonas corticis sp. nov. (type strain 36D10-4-7T=CFCC 13112T=KCTC 52799T) and Sphingobacterium corticibacterium sp. nov. (type strain 30C10-4-7T=CFCC 13069T=KCTC 52797T) are proposed.

Sphingobacterium endophyticum sp. nov., a novel endophyte isolated from halophyte.

A bacterial strain designated NYYP31T was isolated from the leaves of an annual halophytes, Suaeda corniculata Bunge, collected from the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut desert, north-west China. Strain NYYP31T was Gram-staining negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, and non-spore-forming. Growth was observed at 4-42 °C, at pH 5.0-10.0, in the presence of up to 8% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters showed that strain NYYP31T should be assigned to the genus Sphingobacterium. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis showed that strain NYYP31T was most closely related to the type strain of Sphingobacterium daejeonense (97.9%) and Sphingobacterium lactis (97.7%). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The major fatty acids were identified as iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c). The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids, three unidentified lipids, three unidentified amino phospholipids, and two unidentified glycolipids. The genomic DNA G + C content was 36.4 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values for strain NYYP31T to the type strains of S. daejeonense and S. lactis were 77.9 and 74.1%, respectively, which were below the cut-off level (95-96%) for species delineation. Based on the above results, strain NYYP31T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium endophyticum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NYYP31T (= CGMCC 1.16979T = NBRC 114258T).

Co-biodegradation studies of naphthalene and phenanthrene using bacterial consortium.

Degradation studies of phenanthrene and naphthalene as a mixture was carried out using a developed bacterial consortium. The isolates used in consortium were identified as Chryseobacterium sp., Sphingobacterium sp., Stenotrophomonas sp., Agromyces sp. and Pseudomonas sp. Limited work is done on genus Agromyces in degradation studies of PAHs. Catechol production was detected using Arnow's assay suggested that the pathway used for degradation is the meta-cleavage pathway. Results showed that Tween 80, as a surfactant, had maximum effect on the growth of isolates during PAH degradation. This suggests that use of Tween 80 as a surfactant enhanced the uptake of PAH by bacterial isolates during degradation. The study further revealed that, bacterial consortium was successfully utilized in the treatment of water contaminated with PAH in a laboratory-scale biofilm bioreactor. The bacterial consortium was able to degrade 99.9% of naphthalene and 92.9% of phenanthrene as a mixture at a high concentration of 2000 mg/L within 6 days. Further scaling up of the biofilm bioreactor can prove beneficial in large scale treatment of PAH contaminated water. This study showed promising results and these bacterial strains can be used as potential tools for bioremediation of PAH in contaminated sites.

Sphingobacterium cavernae sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from soil sampled at Tiandong Cave.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain 5.0403-2T, was isolated from a cave soil sample collected from Tiandong Cave, Guizhou Province, south-west PR China. Cells showed positive oxidase and catalase reactions. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The major fatty acids were identified as iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), iso-C17 : 0 3OH and summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1 ω9c or C16 : 0 10-methyl). The cellular polar lipids contained phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid, three unidentified phosphoglycolipids and four unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 36.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 5.0403-2T should be assigned to the genus Sphingobacterium. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis showed that strain 5.0403-2T was most similar to Sphingobacterium bovisgrunnientis KCTC 52685T (98.7 %), Sphingobacterium composti KCTC 12578T (98.0 %) and Sphingobacterium alimentarium DSM 22362T (97.3 %) and less than 95.0 % similar to other species of the genus Sphingobacterium. The average nucleotide identity values between strain 5.0403-2T and S. bovisgrunnientis KCTC 52685T, S. composti KCTC 12578T and S. alimentarium DSM 22362T were 94.2, 82.3 and 77.2 % respectively. The digitalDNA-DNA hybridization values between strain 5.0403-2T and S. bovisgrunnientis KCTC 52685T, S. composti KCTC 12578T and S. alimentarium DSM 22362T were 68.4, 25.6 and 20.7 %. These results indicated that the isolate represented a novel genomic species. The polyphasic taxonomic characteristics indicated that strain 5.0304-2T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium cavernae sp. nov. (type strain 5.0403-2T=KCTC 62981T=CCTCC AB 2019257T) is proposed.

Sphingobacterium olei sp. nov., isolated from oil-contaminated soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile and non-spore-forming bacterium, designated HAL-9T, was isolated from oil-contaminated soil in Daqing oilfield, Heilongjiang Province, PR China. Strain HAL-9T was able to degrade quizalofop-p-ethyl and diclofop-methyl. Growth was observed at 10-35 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and salinity of 0 %-5.0 % (w/v; optimum 1.0 %). The results of phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain HAL-9T belongs to the genus Sphingobacterium and showed the highest sequence similarity (98.3 %) to Sphingobacterium alkalisoli Y3L14T, followed by Sphingobacterium mizutaii DSM 11724T (95.1 %) and Sphingobacterium lactis DSM 22361T (95.1 %). Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was the only isoprenoid quinone. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), iso-C15: 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, three phosphoglycolipids and three unidentified lipids. The draft genome of strain HAL-9T was 5.41 Mb. The G+C content of strain HAL-9T was 40.6 mol%. Furthermore, the average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain HAL-9T and S. alkalisoli Y3L14T were 86.2 % and 32.8 %, respectively, which were below the standard thresholds for species differentiation. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic evidence, strain HAL-9T represents a novel species in the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium olei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HAL-9T (=ACCC 61581T=CCTCC AB 2019176T=KCTC 72287T).

Sphingobacterium puteale sp. nov., isolated from a deep subsurface aquifer.

A bacterial strain M05W1-28T was isolated from a well that collected water for irrigation from a deep aquifer at a depth of 400 m. Cells were observed to be rod-shaped, non-motile, aerobic, stained Gram-negative. Optimal growth was obtained at pH 7.0 (range: 6.0-9.0), 28 °C (range: 15-37 °C) and 0 % NaCl (range: 0-1.5 %, w/v) in modified tryptic soy broth (mTSB) without added NaCl and R2A. The cells were found to be positive for catalase and oxidase activities. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were identified as summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c / C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C15 : 0. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, glycolipid, phosphoglycolipids, phospholipids, and unidentified lipids. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7). The genomic G+C content of strain M05W1-28T was 40.7 %. Based on similarities of 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain M05W1-28T was affiliated with the genus Sphingobacterium, exhibiting the highest sequence similarities with S. multivorum LMG 8342T (97.5 %), S. ginsenosidimutans THG07T (97.1 %) and less than 97.0 % to other members of the genus. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridisation values (dDDH) between M05W1-28T and S. multivorum LMG 8342T were 78.1 and 22.5 %, respectively. Phenotypic characteristics including enzyme activities and carbon source utilisation differentiated the strain from other Sphingobacterium species. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties suggested that strain M05W1-28T represented a novel species within the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium puteale sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M05W1-28T (=CGMCC 1.13711T=KCTC 72027T).

A novel Sphingobacterium sp. RB, a rhizosphere isolate degrading para-nitrophenol with substrate specificity towards nitrotoluenes and nitroanilines.

Sphingobacterium sp. RB, a novel bacterial strain isolated from a soil sample, was able to utilize para-nitrophenol (PNP) as sole source of carbon and energy at high concentrations (1.0-5.0 mM). The culture completely degraded 3.0 mM PNP within 36 h with proportionate increase in biomass. With 5.0 mM PNP (700 ppm), 70% degradation was observed within 72 h of incubation. Scanning electron microscope images of the isolate in the presence and absence of PNP showed no significant morphological variations. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated that the biodegradation of PNP in this bacterium proceeded via the formation of 1,2,4-benzenetriol. Cells previously exposed to PNP (induced) were 30% more effective in degrading PNP. With catechol and phenol, such induction was not observed. Uninduced cells of Sphingobacterium sp. RB were capable of degrading a variety of other nitroaromatic compounds, including 2-nitroaniline, 2,4-dinitroaniline, 2-nitrotoluene, 3-nitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitrophenol, within 72 h, thus proving its candidacy as a potent bioremediation agent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a Sphingobacterium species degrading PNP via formation of 1,2,4-benzenetriol.

Sphingobacterium athyrii sp. nov., a cellulose- and xylan-degrading bacterium isolated from a decaying fern (Athyrium wallichianum Ching).

Assessment of the bacterial diversity associated with a decaying fern, Athyrium wallichianum Ching, revealed the presence of a novel bacterial strain named M46T. It was Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile and aerobic with cellulose and xylan degradation abilities. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain M46T was affiliated to the genus Sphingobacterium, exhibiting the highest sequence similarity of 97.9 % to Sphingobacterium ginsenosidimutans THG 07T, Sphingobacterium canadense CR11T and Sphingobacterium detergens6.2 ST. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on concatenated sequences of the rpoB, cpn60 and 16S rRNA genes showed that strain M46T clustered together with S. canadense CR11T. The genome of strain M46T had a G+C content of 40.6 mol% and chromosome of 6 853 865 bp. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) between strain M46T and S. detergens 6.2 ST and S. siyangense SY1T was 85.1 and 78.1 %, respectively. DNA-DNA relatedness values among strain M46T and other closely related Sphingobacterium species were <70 %. ANI and DNA-DNA relatedness findings strongly supported M46T as a putative novel strain of Sphingobacterium. The predominant fatty acids of strain M46T were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, and MK-7 was the dominant isoprenoid quinone. The polar lipid profile of strain M46T contained phosphatidylethanolamine as the dominant component, while minor amounts of phosphoglycolipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified phospholipids and four unidentified lipids were also detected. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, MLSA results, genomic characteristics, and phenotypic and biochemotaxonomic analyses, strain M46T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium athyrii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M46T (=CGMCC 1.13466T=JCM 32543T).

Mitigation of soil contaminated with diesel fuel using bioelectrokinetics.

This study investigated the effectiveness of bioelectrokinetics in rehabilitating a silty clayey sand contaminated with diesel fuel using three novel bacterial strains; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Sphingobacterium multivorum, and Sinorhizobium, isolated form agriculture land. Three electrokinetic bioremediation cells were used to conduct the tests and a novel electrode configuration technique was used to stabilize pH and water content in the soil specimen. Solar photovoltaic panels were used to generate sustainable energy for the process. The tests were carried out in outdoors for 55 days. Applied voltage, current passing through the electrokinetic cell, and the temperature of the soil specimen were recorded periodically during the test. The pH, water content, and diesel concentration were determined at the end of the tests. Over the test period, the voltage typically increased from zero before sunrise, remained relatively stabilized for about 4 h, and then started to decrease and dropped to zero by sunset. The temperatures in the cells were found to be 5-7 °C higher than the ambient temperature. The innovative electrode configuration succeeded in keeping the pH of soil to remain the same and thereby prevented the development of a pH gradient in the soil, an important development for survival of the bacteria. The diesel degradation in the soil after bioelectrokinetics were 20-30%, compared to 10-12% in the control test. The study was successful in developing environmentally friendly technology employing novel bacterial strains to degrade diesel fuel and utilizing solar panel to produce renewable energy for bioelectrokinetic during the winter season.

Sphingobacterium praediipecoris sp. nov. isolated from effluent of a dairy manure treatment plant.

A novel Gram-reaction-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile bacterium, designated as strain G2-10T was isolated from effluent of a dairy manure treatment plant. Growth occurred at 20-40 °C (optimum at 25-30 °C), pH 7.0-8.0 (optimum at pH 7.0). The range of NaCl concentration for growth was between 0% and 3% (w/v) (optimum 0-1%, w/v). Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain G2-10T was moderately related to the type strains of Sphingobacterium nematocida M-SX103T and Sphingobacterium suaedae T47T with a pair-wise sequence similarity of 94.3% and 94.0%, respectively. The major fatty acid constituents of strain G2-10T were identified as iso-C15:0 (37.6%), summed feature 3 (consisting of C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c, 29.6%) and iso-C17:0 3-OH (15.2%). Phosphatidylethanolamine was the major polar lipids of strain G2-10T. Sphingophospholipids were present. The isoprenoid quinone was composed of only MK-7. The DNA G + C content of strain G2-10T was found to be 42.5 mol%. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties suggest that strain G2-10T represents a novel species within the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium praediipecoris is proposed. The type strain is G2-10T (= KCTC 52880T = NBRC 112848T).

Sphingobacterium haloxyli sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from Haloxylon ammodendron stems in Kumtag desert.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, bacterial strain, designated 5JN-11T, was isolated from Haloxylonammodendron stems in Kumtag desert, Xinjiang province, China. Strain 5JN-11T grew at salinities of 0-6 % (w/v; optimum 0-2 %), a pH of 7.0-9.0 (pH 7.0-8.0) and temperatures of 20-42 °C (28-30 °C). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the strain was designated a member of the genus Sphingobacterium and the phylogenetic analysis showed that strain 5JN-11T shared the highest similarity to Sphingobacterium gobiense H7T, followed by Sphingobacterium chuzhouense DH-5T and Sphingobacterium arenae H-12T. The unfinished draft genome of strain 5JN-11T was 4.69 Mb. The G+C content of strain 5JN-11T was 42.8 mol%. The average nucleotide identity to S. gobiense H7T was 90.5 %. The respiratory quinone was MK-7, and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphoglycolipid. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic evidence, strain 5JN-11T represents a novel species in the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacteriumhaloxyli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5JN-11T (=ACCC 60072T=KCTC 62457T).

Relationship between dissolved organic matter quality and microbial community composition across polar glacial environments.

Vast expanses of Earth's surface are covered by ice, with microorganisms in these systems affecting local and global biogeochemical cycles. We examined microbial assemblages from habitats fed by glacial meltwater within the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica and on the west Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), evaluating potential physicochemical factors explaining trends in community structure. Microbial assemblages present in the different Antarctic dry valley habitats were dominated by Sphingobacteria andFlavobacteria, while Gammaproteobacteria and Sphingobacteria prevailed in west GrIS supraglacial environments. Microbial assemblages clustered by location (Canada Glacier, Cotton Glacier and west GrIS) and were separated by habitat type (i.e. ice, cryoconite holes, supraglacial lakes, sediment and stream water). Community dissimilarities were strongly correlated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality. Microbial meltwater assemblages were most closely associated with different protein-like components of the DOM pool. Microbes in environments with mineral particles (i.e. stream sediments and cryoconite holes) were linked to DOM containing more humic-like fluorescence. Our results demonstrate the establishment of distinct microbial communities within ephemeral glacial meltwater habitats, with DOM-microbe interactions playing an integral role in shaping communities on local and polar spatial scales.