Paenibacillus chinensis sp. nov., isolated from maize (Zea mays L.) seeds.

Four Gram-stain positive bacterial strains, designated as 4R1(T), 4R9, 4L13 and 4L18, isolated from seeds of hybrid maize (Zea mays L., Jingke 968), were investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The cells were found to be facultatively aerobic, motile, spore-forming and rod-shaped. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates should be recognised as a species of the genus Paenibacillus, with two close neighbours being Paenibacillus nicotianae YIM h-19(T) (98.41 % similarity) and Paenibacillus hordei RH-N24(T) (98.37 %). The DNA G+C content of strain 4R1(T) was determined to be 51.6 mol %. Its polar lipid profile was found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified lipid. The predominant respiratory quinone was identified as MK-7 and the major fatty acids were found to be anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C12:0, anteiso-C13:0 and anteiso-C11:0. Strains 4R1(T), 4R9, 4L13 and 4L18 were clearly distinguished from the reference type strains using phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and a range of physiological and biochemical characteristics. It is evident from the genotypic and phenotypic data that strains 4R1(T), 4R9, 4L13 and 4L18 represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus chinensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 4R1(T) (=KCTC 33672(T) = CICC 23864(T)).