title: Abyssivirga alkaniphila gen. nov., sp. nov., an alkane-degrading, anaerobic bacterium from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent system, and emended descriptions of Natranaerovirga pectinivora and Natranaerovirga hydrolytica.
abstract: A strictly anaerobic, mesophilic, syntrophic, alkane-degrading strain, L81T, was isolated from a biofilm sampled from a black smoker chimney at the Loki's Castle vent field. Cells were straight, rod-shaped, Gram-positive-staining and motile. Growth was observed at pH 6.2-9.5, 14-42 °C and 0.5-6 % (w/w) NaCl, with optima at pH 7.0-8.2, 37 °C and 3% (w/w) NaCl. Proteinaceous substrates, sugars, organic acids and hydrocarbons were utilized for growth. Thiosulfate was used as an external electron acceptor during growth on crude oil. Strain L81T was capable of syntrophic hydrocarbon degradation when co-cultured with a methanogenic archaeon, designated strain LG6, isolated from the same enrichment. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain L81T is affiliated with the family Lachnospiraceae, and is most closely related to the type strains of Natranaerovirga pectinivora (92 % sequence similarity) and Natranaerovirga hydrolytica (90%). The major cellular fatty acids of strain L81T were C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 0, and the profile was distinct from those of the species of the genus Natranaerovirga. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified phospholipids, four unidentified glycolipids and two unidentified phosphoglycolipids. The G+C content of genomic DNA was determined to be 31.7 mol%. Based on our phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic results, strain L81T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus of the family Lachnospiraceae, for which we propose the name Abyssivirga alkaniphila gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Abyssivirga alkaniphila is L81T (=DSM 29592T=JCM 30920T). We also provide emended descriptions of Natranaerovirga pectinivora and Natranaerovirga hydrolytica.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 53 A/B, N-5020, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schouw
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research, Uni Research AS, Thormøhlensgate 55, N-5008, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Tove
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leiknes Eide
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 53 A/B, N-5020, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Runar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stokke
authors.affiliation: Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, N-5007, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, N-5007, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Rolf Birger
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 53 A/B, N-5020, Bergen, Norway.|Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, N-5007, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Ida Helene
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Steen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research, Uni Research AS, Thormøhlensgate 55, N-5008, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Gunhild
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bødtker
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001110:Arctic Regions; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D000068016:Eubacteriales / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry; D060086:Hydrothermal Vents / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000737:chemistry; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006017:Glycolipids; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D010743:Phospholipids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S