title: Sphingopyxis witflariensis sp. nov., isolated from activated sludge.
abstract: Classification of strain W-50(T), which was isolated from a wastewater treatment plant, was investigated by a polyphasic approach. Cells of strain W-50(T) were Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, oxidase-positive and yellow-pigmented. Ubiquinone Q-10 was the main respiratory lipoquinone system and polar lipid fingerprints were characterized by the presence of a sphingoglycolipid, suggesting that strain W-50(T) belongs to the alpha-4 subclass of the Proteobacteria. Sequencing and comparative analyses of the 16S rRNA gene of strain W-50(T) supported its chemotaxonomic allocation as an alpha-4 proteobacterium. The most closely related established taxa were species of the genus Sphingopyxis, including Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida (97.3% similarity) and Sphingopyxis terrae (96-4% similarity), and Sphingomonas taejonensis (97.3%). These findings were supported by both the polyamine content, which consisted mainly of spermidine [12.9 micromol (g dry wt)(-1)], and the presence of 2-OH 14:0, 2-OH 15:0 and 2-OH 16:0 in the cellular fatty acid profile. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments resulted in similarity values of 31.9% between strain W-50(T) and Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida IFO 15033(T), 44.9% between strain W-50(T) and Sphingopyxis terrae IFO 15098(T) and 31.0% between strain W-50(T) and Sphingomonas taejonensis KCTC 2884(T). Based upon results obtained by detailed physiological/biochemical testing and previously published molecular evidence, strain W-50(T) was clearly distinguishable from all other Sphingopyxis species. For these reasons, the creation of a novel species, Sphingopyxis witflariensis sp. nov., is proposed; strain W-50(T) (= DSM 14551(T) = CIP 107174(T)) is the type strain.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Angewandte Mikrobiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, IFZ-Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. peter.kaempfer@agrar.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kämpfer
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Witzenberger
authors.forename: Ewald B M
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Denner
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Busse
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neef
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012722:Sewage