Muricauda taeanensis sp. nov., isolated from a marine tidal flat.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, heterotrophic, moderate halophilic and strictly aerobic bacterium, strain 105(T), was isolated from a tidal flat of Taean in Korea. Cells were catalase- and oxidase-positive long rods that showed gliding motility. Optimum temperature, pH and salinity for the growth of strain 105(T) were observed at 30-37 °C, at pH 7.0-7.5, and in the presence of 2-4 % (w/v) NaCl, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. Phosphatidylethanolamine and five unidentified lipids were identified as the major polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain 105(T) was 42.4 mol% and MK-6 was detected as the predominant isoprenoid quinone. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 105(T) formed a phyletic lineage with members of the genus Muricauda. Strain 105(T) was most closely related to Muricauda aquimarina SW-63(T) (97.6 %), Muricauda beolgyonensis BB-My12(T) (97.5 %), Muricauda lutimaris SMK-108(T) (97.5 %), Muricauda ruestringensis B1(T) (97.3 %), Muricauda flavescens CL-SS4(T) (97.2 %) and Muricauda olearia (96.2 %). The DNA-DNA relatedness values of strain 105(T) with M. aquimarina JCM 11811(T), M. beolgyonensis KCTC 23501(T), M. lutimaris KCTC 22173(T), M. ruestringensis DSM 13258(T) and M. flavescens JCM 11812(T) were 17.2 ± 6.0, 8.7 ± 2.2, 3.7 ± 0.5, 11.0 ± 1.9 and 7.1 ± 1.3 %, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic and molecular features, strain 105(T) represents a novel species of the genus Muricauda, for which the name Muricauda taeanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 105(T) ( = KACC 16195(T) = JCM 17757(T)).