title: Aquiflexum balticum gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel marine bacterium of the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides group isolated from surface water of the central Baltic Sea.
abstract: A bacterial isolate from the Baltic Sea, BA160(T), was characterized for its physiological and biochemical features, fatty acid profile, G+C content and phylogenetic position based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The strain was isolated from the surface water of the central Baltic Sea during the decay of a plankton bloom. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed a clear affiliation with the family 'Flexibacteraceae', and showed the closest phylogenetic relationship with the species Belliella baltica and Cyclobacterium marinum. The G+C content of the DNA was 38.4 mol%. The strain was red-coloured due to carotenoids, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, and catalase- and oxidase-positive. Growth was observed at salinities from 0 to 6 %, with an optimum around 1.5 %. Temperature for growth ranged from 4 to 40 degrees C, with an optimum around 30 degrees C. The fatty acids were dominated by branched-chain fatty acids (>87 %), with a high abundance of iso-C(15 : 0) (23 %) and anteiso-C(15 : 0) (19 %). According to its morphology, physiology, fatty acid composition, G+C content and 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain BA160(T) is considered to represent a new genus of the family 'Flexibacteraceae'. Due to its aquatic origin, the name Aquiflexum balticum gen. nov, sp. nov. is suggested for the type species (type strain, BA160(T)=DSM 16537(T)=LMG 22565(T)=CIP 108445(T)) of the new genus.
authors.affiliation: GBF - German Research Centre for Biotechnology, Dept Environmental Microbiology, Mascheroder Weg 1, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brettar
authors.affiliation: UMR 6543 CNRS and Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Centre de Biochimie, Parc Valrose, F06108 Nice cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.affiliation: GBF - German Research Centre for Biotechnology, Dept Environmental Microbiology, Mascheroder Weg 1, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Manfred G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Höfle
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis; D041964:Cytophagaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D005840:Gentian Violet; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis; D010619:Phenazines; D010802:Phylogeny; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010933:Plankton / Q000382:microbiology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013696:Temperature; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; C035863:Gram's stain; D010619:Phenazines; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D002338:Carotenoids; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D002374:Catalase; D005840:Gentian Violet