Rhodococcus percolatus sp. nov., a bacterium degrading 2,4,6-trichlorophenol.

A bacterial strain that was able to mineralize 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was isolated from a chlorophenol-fed percolator and was identified as a member of the genus Rhodococcus on the basis of chemotaxonomic characteristics and 16S RNA phylogenetic inference data. This organism (strain MBS1T [T = type strain]) exhibited a typical irregular rod-coccus cycle, and the cells had fimbria-like structures on their surfaces. The diagnostic cell wall amino acid was meso-diaminopimelic acid, and the sugars were arabinose and galactose; the mycolic acids contained 46 to 54 carbon atoms. The main menaquinone was MK-8(H2), and MK-9(H2) was a minor component. The cellular phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositolmannoside, phosphatidylglycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol. Tuberculostearic acid was present. The whole-cell fatty acids were straight-chain acids with 14 to 18 C atoms. The G+C content of the DNA was 67.4 mol%. This organism grew on sucrose, pyruvate, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and it oxidized a large number of carbon compounds, including catechol, 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and phenol. It also exhibited beta-galactosidase, urease, and 2-acetyl-lactate decarboxylase activities. On a phylogenetic tree that was based on 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequences strain MBS1T was found among the rhodococci on an independent branch. On the basis of the chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characteristics of strain MBS1T and its phylogenetic position we suggest that this bacterium should be placed in a new species, Rhodococcus percolatus; the specific epithet was chosen because the organism was isolated by using an enriched percolator. The type strain is strain MBS1.