title: 'Candidatus Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis' gen. nov., sp. nov., a dichloromethane-degrading anaerobe of the Peptococcaceae family.
abstract: Taxonomic assignments of anaerobic dichloromethane (DCM)-degrading bacteria remain poorly constrained but are important for understanding the microbial diversity of organisms contributing to DCM turnover in environmental systems. We describe the taxonomic classification of a novel DCM degrader in consortium RM obtained from pristine Rio Mameyes sediment. Phylogenetic analysis of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that the DCM degrader was most closely related to members of the genera Dehalobacter and Syntrophobotulus, but sequence similarities did not exceed 94% and 93%, respectively. Genome-aggregate average amino acid identities against Peptococcaceae members did not exceed 66%, suggesting that the DCM degrader does not affiliate with any described genus. Phylogenetic analysis of conserved single-copy functional genes supported that the DCM degrader represents a novel clade. Growth strictly depended on the presence of DCM, which was consumed at a rate of 160±3μmolL-1d-1. The DCM degrader attained 5.25×107±1.0×107cells per μmol DCM consumed. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed rod-shaped cells 4±0.8μm long and 0.4±0.1μm wide. Based on the unique phylogenetic, genomic, and physiological characteristics, we propose that the DCM degrader represents a new genus and species, 'Candidatus Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis'.
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-ORNL) Joint Institute for Biological Sciences (JIBS) and Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. Electronic address: sara.kleindienst@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kleindienst
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-ORNL) Joint Institute for Biological Sciences (JIBS) and Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsementzi
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Gao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Konstantinos T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Konstantinidis
authors.affiliation: Corporate Remediation Group, E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, Newark, DE 19714, USA.
authors.forename: E Erin
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-ORNL) Joint Institute for Biological Sciences (JIBS) and Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. Electronic address: frank.loeffler@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Frank E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Löffler
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008752:Methylene Chloride / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010459:Peptococcaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D008752:Methylene Chloride
keywords: Anaerobic dichloromethane degradation; Metagenome binning; Peptococcaceae; ‘Candidatus Dichloromethanomonas elyunquensis’