Haloarcula quadrata sp. nov., a square, motile archaeon isolated from a brine pool in Sinai (Egypt).

The motile, predominantly square-shaped, red archaeon strain 801030/1T, isolated from a brine pool in the Sinai peninsula (Egypt), was characterized taxonomically. On the basis of its polar lipid composition, the nucleotide sequences of its two 16S rRNA genes, the DNA G+C content (60.1 mol%) and its growth characteristics, the isolate could be assigned to the genus Haloarcula. However, phylogenetic analysis of the two 16S rRNA genes detected in this organism and low DNA-DNA hybridization values with related Haloarcula species showed that strain 801030/1T is sufficiently different from the recognized Haloarcula species to warrant its designation as a new species. A new species, Haloarcula quadrata, is therefore proposed, with strain 801030/1T (= DSM 11927T) as the type strain.