Spirochaeta americana sp. nov., a new haloalkaliphilic, obligately anaerobic spirochaete isolated from soda Mono Lake in California.
A novel, obligately anaerobic, mesophilic, haloalkaliphilic spirochaete, strain ASpG1(T), was isolated from sediments of the alkaline, hypersaline Mono Lake in California, USA. Cells of the Gram-negative strain were motile and spirochaete-shaped with sizes of 0.2-0.22 x 8-18 microm. Growth of the strain was observed between 10 and 44 degrees C (optimum 37 degrees C), in 2-12% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3% NaCl) and between pH 8 and 10.5 (optimum pH 9.5). The novel strain was strictly alkaliphilic, required high concentrations of carbonates in the medium and was capable of utilizing D-glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, starch and D-mannitol. End products of glucose fermentation were H2, acetate, ethanol and formate. Strain ASpG(T) was resistant to kanamycin and rifampicin, but sensitive to gentamicin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. The G + C content of its DNA was 58.5 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization analysis of strain ASpG1(T) with its most closely related species, Spirochaeta alkalica Z-7491(T), revealed a hybridization value of only 48.7%. On the basis of its physiological and molecular properties, strain ASpG1(T) appears to represent a novel species of the genus Spirochaeta, for which the name Spirochaeta americana is proposed (type strain ASpG1(T) =ATCC BAA-392(T) = DSM 14872(T)).
Hoover
Richard B
RB
NASA/NSSTC, SD-50, 320 Sparkman Dr., Huntsville, AL 35805, USA.
Pikuta
Elena V
EV
NASA/NSSTC, SD-50, 320 Sparkman Dr., Huntsville, AL 35805, USA.
Bej
Asim K
AK
Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Marsic
Damien
D
Laboratory for Structural Biology, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, MSB, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA.
Whitman
William B
WB
Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2605, USA.
Tang
Jane
J
American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Blvd, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
Krader
Paul
P
American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Blvd, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D002140:California; D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism*; D013142:Spirochaeta / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014871:Water Microbiology
D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012965:Sodium Chloride