Halomonas taeanensis sp. nov., a novel moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a solar saltern in Korea.

A moderately halophilic, Gram-negative bacterium, strain BH539(T), which was isolated from a solar saltern at Taean in Korea, was considered to be a member of the genus Halomonas. Strain BH539(T) grew at salinities of 1-25% (w/v) and at temperatures of 10-45 degrees C. Cells were short rods that were motile by means of several flagella. Their major fatty acids were C(18:1)omega7c, C(16:0) and C(19:0) cyclo omega8c. The genomic DNA G+C content was about 65 mol% and the predominant ubiquinone was Q-9. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate formed a branch of the species Cobetia marina. However, 23S and 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities revealed that strain BH539(T) was related more closely to the type strains of the genus Halomonas. Phylogenetic analyses based on 23S rRNA gene sequences also indicated that the strain formed a phyletic line within the genus Halomonas. Therefore, it was concluded that strain BH539(T) should be classified within the genus Halomonas, rather than Cobetia. On the basis of physiological and molecular properties, strain BH539(T) represents a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas taeanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH539(T) (=KCTC 12284(T)=DSM 16463(T)).