Halomonas nigrificans sp. nov., isolated from cheese

Abstract

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped Proteobacteria isolate, MBT G8648(T), was obtained from an acid curd cheese called Quargel. The isolate was moderately salt tolerant and motile, with numerous peritrichous flagella. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain belongs to the genus Halomonas, with 98.42% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Halomonas titanicae BH1(T) as nearest related neighbour. Further comparative sequence analysis of secA and gyrB genes, as well as physiological and biochemical tests, revealed that this bacterium formed a taxon well-separated from its nearest neighbours and other established Halomonas species. Thus, the strain represents a new species, for which the name Halomonas nigrificans sp. nov. is proposed, with strain MBT G8648(T) (= LMG 29097(T) = DSM 105749(T)) as type strain