Limibacillus halophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium in the family Rhodospirillaceae isolated from reclaimed land

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming and short rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated CAU 1121^T, was isolated from reclaimed land in the Republic of Korea and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. The bacterium grew optimally at 37°C, at pH6.5 and in the presence of 2% (w/v) NaCl. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the novel isolate belonged to the familyRhodospirillaceae within the class Alphaproteobacteria and formed an independent lineage within the evolutionary radiation encompassed by the phylum Proteobacteria. Strain CAU 1121^T exhibited very low levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with its phylogenetic neighbours Pelagibius litoralis (similarity, 92.5%), Fodinicurvata fenggangensis (similarity, 91.4%), Fodinicurvata sediminis (similarity, 90.7%) and Tistlia consotensis (similarity, 91.0%). Strain CAU 1121^T contained ubiquinone-10 as the only respiratory quinone and C_18:1ω7c as the major cellular fatty acid. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 65mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic inference, and physiological and chemotaxonomic data, it is proposed that strain CAU 1121^T represents a novel genus and novel species in the family Rhodospirillaceae, for which the name Limibacillus halophilus gen. nov., sp. nov. is suggested. The type strain is CAU 1121^T (=KCTC 42420^T=CECT 8803^T=NBRC 110928^T).