Hyphomicrobium nitrativorans sp. nov., isolated from the biofilm of a methanol-fed denitrification system treating seawater at the Montreal Biodome.

A budding prosthecate bacterial strain, designated NL23(T), was isolated from a methanol-fed denitrification system treating seawater at the Montreal Biodome, Canada. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA (rRNA) gene sequences showed that the strain was affiliated with the genus Hyphomicrobium of the Alphaproteobacteria and was most closely related to Hyphomicrobium zavarzinii with 99.4 % sequence similarity. Despite this high level of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, DNA-DNA hybridization assays showed that strain NL23(T) was only distantly related to H. zavarzinii ZV-622(T) (12 %). Strain NL23(T) grew aerobically, but also had the capacity to grow under denitrifying conditions in the presence of nitrate without nitrite accumulation. Growth occurred at pH 7.0-9.5, with 0-1 % NaCl and at temperatures of 15-35 °C. Major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c or ω6c (84.6 %) and C18 : 0 (8.5 %), and major quinones were Q8 (5 %) and Q9 (95 %). The complete genome of the strain was sequenced and showed a DNA G+C content of 63.8 mol%. Genome analysis predicted open reading frames (ORF) encoding the key enzymes of the serine pathway as well as enzymes involved in methylotrophy. Also, ORF encoding a periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap), a nitrite reductase (Nir), a nitric oxide reductase (Nor) and a nitrous oxide reductase (Nos) were identified. Our results support that strain NL23(T) represents a novel species within the genus Hyphomicrobium, for which the name Hyphomicrobium nitrativorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NL23(T) ( = ATCC BAA-2476(T) = LMG 27277(T)).