Chitinophaga niabensis sp. nov. and Chitinophaga niastensis sp. nov., isolated from soil.

Two yellow-coloured bacterial strains, designated JS13-10(T) and JS16-4(T), were isolated from soil from Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strains were found to be affiliated with members of the genus Chitinophaga. Phenotypically, the novel strains were identified as being different from each other and from recognized species of the genus Chitinophaga. DNA-DNA hybridization tests between the two novel strains and closely related Chitinophaga reference strains produced DNA relatedness values that were significantly lower (<36 %) than those generally accepted as the highest threshold for the phylogenetic definition of a species. On the basis of their distinct taxonomic characteristics, these strains represent two novel species of the genus Chitinophaga, for which the names Chitinophaga niabensis sp. nov. (type strain JS13-10(T)=KACC 12952(T)=JCM 15440(T)) and Chitinophaga niastensis sp. nov. (type strain JS16-4(T)=KACC 12954(T)=JCM 15441(T)) are proposed.