[A new species of the genus Phenylobacterium for the degradation of LAS (linear alkylbenzene sulfonate)].

A strain GZ6 that can biodegrade LAS (Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonate) is identified. It is aerobic gram-negative rod or short-rod (0.5 to 0.8 by 1.0 to 2.0 Mm). It is mobile with a single polar flagellum. Optimum growth occurred at 30 degrees C and pH7.0. It is catalase positive, urease positive, and arginine decarboxylase positive. All the other physiological and biochemical tests performed were negative. It utilizes the xenobiotic compounds chloridazon, antipyrin and LAS as sole carbon sources. Most sugars, alcohols, and carboxylic acids are not utilized. It has Q-10 as the major quinone. The main cell fatty acids are Sum7, C16:0 and Sum4. The DNA G + C mol % content is 70.10. A phylogenic tree was constructed on the basis of 16S rDNA sequences. It showed that the previously known member of the genus Phenylobacterium, Phenylobacterium mobile DSM1986T, is the nearest neighbor to strain GZ6. The level of binary sequence similarity between them is 97.49%. And the DNA-DNA relatedness is 40%. These genetic analysis and their morphological difference show that they are different species of Phenylobacterium. A new species, Phenylobacterium mobile sp. nov., has been proposed.