title: Three novel halotolerant and thermophilic Geobacillus strains from shallow marine vents.
abstract: During a polyphasic taxonomic analysis performed on isolates from shallow marine hydrothermal vents of Eolian Islands (Italy), three thermophilic, halotolerant bacilli, designated as strain 1bw, strain 5-2 and strain 10-1, could not be affiliated to any described species. Physiological and biochemical characteristics, membrane lipids composition, mol % G+C content, and phylogenetic relationships determined on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, placed these strains within the genus Geobacillus. The three strains were only moderately related to species of Geobacillus and their relatives, members of Saccharococcus. Determination of the relatedness among each other at a higher taxonomic level by DNA-DNA reassociation experiments demonstrated the three isolates to represent three different novel Geobacillus genomospecies. The taxonomic novelty of these three marine strains was substantiated by their physiological properties and by fatty acid patterns that did not match closely those of any Geobacillus type strain. These three novel strains could be of interest to biotechnology because of their ability to produce exopolysaccharides and to adhere on polystirene, characteristics undescribed so far for other Geobacillus species. They are also able to utilise hydrocarbons such as gas oil, kerosene and mineral lubricating oil. Strain 5-2 is tolerant to zinc.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Sez Ecologia Microbica e Biotecnologie, Messina, Italy. tmaugeri@unime.it
authors.forename: Teresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Maugeri
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gugliandolo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caccamo
authors.forename: Erko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stackebrandt
mesh_terms: D001406:Bacillaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005838:Genotype; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007558:Italy; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010578:Petroleum; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D015032:Zinc