title: Paenibacillus sophorae sp. nov., a nitrogen-fixing species isolated from the rhizosphere of Sophora japonica.
abstract: A nitrogen-fixing bacterium, designated strain S27(T), was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Sophora japonica. Phylogenetic analysis based on a fragment of the nifH gene and the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain S27(T) is a member of the genus Paenibacillus. High levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity were found between strain S27(T) and Paenibacillus durus DSM 1735(T) (97.3 %), Paenibacillus sabinae DSM 17841(T) (96.9 %), Paenibacillus forsythiae DSM 17842(T) (96.7 %) and Paenibacillus zanthoxyli DSM 18202(T) (96.6 %). However, DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain S27(T) and the four type strains were 37.64 %, 23.12 %, 25.6 % and 34.99 %, respectively. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain S27(T) and the type strains of other recognized members of the genus Paenibacillus were below 96.5 %. The DNA G+C content of strain S27(T) was 46.0 mol%. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C(15 : 0), C(16 : 0) and iso-C(16 : 0). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. On the basis of its phenotypic characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization results, strain S27(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus sophorae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S27(T) ( = CGMCC 1.10238(T)  = DSM 23020(T)).
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors.forename: Hao-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors.forename: San-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D056507:Paenibacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011809:Quinones / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D058441:Rhizosphere; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D029909:Sophora / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005227:Fatty Acids; D011809:Quinones; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C029130:nitrogenase reductase