Yonghaparkia alkaliphila gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Microbacteriaceae isolated from an alkaline soil.

Two Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped actinomycete strains, KSL-113(T) and KSL-133, were isolated from an alkaline soil in Korea, and their taxonomic positions were investigated by using a polyphasic approach. The strains grew optimally at 30 degrees C and pH 9.0. Phenotypic, phylogenetic and genetic similarities indicated that strains KSL-113(T) and KSL-133 represent the same species. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains KSL-113(T) and KSL-133 fell within the family Microbacteriaceae of the suborder Micrococcineae, the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values (98.2 %) being obtained with respect to Microcella putealis CV-2(T). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strains KSL-113(T) and KSL-133 and the other members of the family Microbacteriaceae used in the phylogenetic analysis were less than 96.0 %. Strains KSL-113(T) and KSL-133 could be clearly distinguished from members of the family Microbacteriaceae on the basis of differences in chemotaxonomic properties, including the predominant menaquinone type, the cell-wall peptidoglycan type and the fatty acid profile. Accordingly, on the basis of the combined phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strains KSL-113(T) and KSL-133 constitute a novel genus and species of the family Microbacteriaceae, for which the name Yonghaparkia alkaliphila gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Yonghaparkia alkaliphila is KSL-113(T) (=KCTC 19126(T)=CIP 108920(T)).