title: Oleispira antarctica gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacterium isolated from Antarctic coastal sea water.
abstract: The taxonomic characteristics of two bacterial strains, RB-8(T) and RB-9, isolated from hydrocarbon-degrading enrichment cultures obtained from Antarctic coastal marine environments (Rod Bay, Ross Sea), were determined. These bacteria were psychrophilic, aerobic and Gram-negative with polar flagella. Growth was not observed in the absence of NaCl, occurred only at concentrations of Na+ above 20 mM and was optimal at an NaCl concentration of 3-5% (w/v). The major cellular fatty acids were monounsaturated straight-chain fatty acids. The strains were able to synthesize the polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (20: 5omega3) at low temperatures. The DNA G + C contents were 41-42 mol%. The strains formed a distinct phyletic line within the gamma-Proteobacteria, with less than 89.6% sequence identity to their closest relatives within the Bacteria with validly published names. Both isolates exhibited a restricted substrate profile, with a preference for aliphatic hydrocarbons, that is typical of marine hydrocarbonoclastic micro-organisms such as Alcanivorax, Marinobacter and Oleiphilus. On the basis of ecophysiological properties, G + C content, 16S rRNA gene sequences and fatty acid composition, a novel genus and species within the gamma-Proteobacteria are proposed, Oleispira antarctica gen. nov., sp. nov.; strain RB-8(T) (= DSM 14852(T) = LMG 21398(T)) is the type strain.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico, CNR, Spianata San Raineri 86, 98122 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Michail M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yakimov
authors.affiliation: Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico, CNR, Spianata San Raineri 86, 98122 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giuliano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Università di Messina, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico, CNR, Spianata San Raineri 86, 98122 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crisafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, GBF - German Research Center for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Tatyana N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Chernikova
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, GBF - German Research Center for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolf-Rainer
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, GBF - German Research Center for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lünsdorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, GBF - German Research Center for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kenneth N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Timmis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Biozentrum, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.|Department of Microbiology, GBF - German Research Center for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Golyshin
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011548:Pseudomonadaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S