Herminiimonas saxobsidens sp nov., isolated from a lichen-colonized rock

Abstract

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium (strain NS11(T)) was isolated from a lichen-colonized rock surface. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain NS11(T) was shown to belong to the Betaproteobacteria, and was most closely related to Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans ULPAs1(T) (98.8 %), Herminiimonas aquatilis CCUG 36956(T) (98.0 %) and Herminiimonas fonticola S-94(T) (98.0 0/6). Major whole-cell fatty acids were C-16:0, C-17:0 cyclo and C-16:1 omega 7c. Strain NS11(T) also contained high proportions of C-10:0 3-OH and C-18:1 omega 7c. This pattern is typical for members of the genus Herminiimonas. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and physiological and biochemical tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain NS11(T) from the three recognized Herminiimonas species. It is therefore concluded that strain NS11(T) represents a novel species of the genus Herminfirnonas, for which the name Herminiimonas saxobsidens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NS11(T) (=DSM 18748(T)= CCM 7436(T)).