title: Description of Endozoicomonas ascidiicola sp. nov., isolated from Scandinavian ascidians.
abstract: Two gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, chemoorganoheterotrophic, motile and rod-shaped bacteria, strains AVMART05(T) and KASP37, were isolated from ascidians (Tunicata, Ascidiaceae) of the genus Ascidiella collected at Gullmarsfjord, Sweden. The strains are the first cultured representatives of an ascidian-specific lineage within the genus Endozoicomonas (Gammaproteobacteria, Oceanospirillales, Hahellaceae). Both strains feature three distinct 16S rRNA gene paralogs, with identities of 98.9-99.1% (AVMART05(T)) and 97.7-98.8% (KASP37) between paralogs. The strains are closely related to Endozoicomonas atrinae and Endozoicomonas elysicola, with which they share 97.3-98.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization, average nucleotide identity, and tetra-nucleotide correlation analysis indicate that both strains belong to a single species distinct from their closest relatives. Both strains feature similar DNA G+C contents of 46.70mol% (AVMART05(T)) and 44.64mol% (KASP37). The fatty acid patterns of AVMART05(T) and KASP37 are most similar to those of Endozoicomonas euniceicola and Endozoicomonas gorgoniicola. Based on the polyphasic approach, we propose the species Endozoicomonas ascidiicola sp. nov. to accommodate the newly isolated strains. E. ascidiicola sp. nov. is represented by the type strain AVMART05(T) (=DSM 100913(T)=LMG 29095(T)) and strain KASP37 (=DSM 100914=LMG 29096).
authors.affiliation: Center for Geomicrobiology & Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: lars.schreiber@bios.au.dk.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.affiliation: Center for Geomicrobiology & Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kasper Urup
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Kjeldsen
authors.affiliation: Systematics and Biodiversity, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Göteborg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obst
authors.affiliation: Section for Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Funch
authors.affiliation: Center for Geomicrobiology & Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schramm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D044130:Oceanospirillaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013548:Sweden; D014561:Urochordata / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Ascidia; Endozoicomonas; Marine; Sea squirts; Symbiosis; Tunicates