Alcanivorax gelatiniphagus sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from tidal flat sediments enriched with crude oil

Abstract

A Gram-reaction-negative, rod-shaped marine bacterium, designated MEBiC08158T, was isolated from sediments collected from Taean County, Korea, near the Hebei Spirit tanker oil spill accident. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain MEBiC08158T was closely related to Alcanivorax marinus R8-12T (99.5% similarity) but was distinguishable from other members of the genus Alcanivorax (93.7–97.1%). The DNA–DNA hybridization value between strain MEBiC08158T and A. marinus R8-12T was 58.4%. Growth of strain MEBiC08158T was observed at 15–43°C (optimum 37–40°C), at pH6.0–9.5 (optimum pH7.0–8.0) and with 0.5–16% NaCl (optimum 1.5–3.0%). The dominant fatty acids were C16:0, C19:0 cyclo ω8c, C12:0, C18:1ω7c, C12:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (comprising C15:0 2-OH and/or C16:1ω7c). Several phenotypic characteristics differentiate strain MEBiC08158T from phylogenetically close members of the genus Alcanivorax. Therefore, strain MEBiC08158T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Alcanivorax, for which the name Alcanivorax gelatiniphagus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MEBiC08158T (=KCCM 42990T=JCM 18425T). © 2015 IUMS.