title: Halomonas maura sp. nov., a novel moderately halophilic, exopolysaccharide-producing bacterium.
abstract: Four moderately halophilic, exopolysaccharide-producing bacterial strains isolated from soil samples collected from a saltern at Asilah (Morocco) are reported. These four strains were initially considered to belong to the genus Halomonas. Their DNA G+C contents varied between 62.2 and 64.1 mol %. DNA-DNA hybridization revealed a considerable degree of DNA-DNA similarity amongst all four strains (75.5-80.8%). Nevertheless, similarity with the reference strains of phylogenetically close relatives was lower than 40%. 16S rRNA gene sequences were compared with those of other species of Halomonas and other gram-negative bacteria and they were sufficiently distinct phylogenetically from other recognized Halomonas species to warrant their designation as a novel species. The name Halomonas maura sp. nov. is therefore proposed, with strain S-31T (= CECT 5298T= DSM 13445T) as the type strain. The fatty acid composition of strain S-31T revealed the presence of 18:1omega7c, 16:1omega7c/2-OH i15:0 and 16:0 as the major components. Growth rate analysis showed that strain S-31T had specific cationic requirements for Na+ and Mg2+.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouchotroch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Moral
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Llamas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Béjar
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D020632:Halomonas / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009018:Morocco; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012965:Sodium Chloride