Pedobacter anseongensis sp. nov., Pedobacter immunditicola sp. nov. and Pedobacter superstes sp. nov., three novel species isolated from hydrocarbon-and heavy metal-contaminated soils

Three novel, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated Du54T, Du274T and P351T, were isolated from contaminated environments in Anseong, South Korea. Strains Du54T and Du274T originated from landfill soil, whilst P351T was obtained from parking lot soil. These sites are frequently exposed to pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals and industrial runoff, which exert selective pressures on microbial communities. The taxonomic positions of the strains were determined using a polyphasic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, draft genome analysis and whole-genomebased phylogenetic reconstruction. Phylogenetic trees based on both 16S rRNA genes and core genome sequences (Type Genome Server and AutoMLST) showed that the three isolates belong to the genus Pedobacter. Du54T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Pedobacter insulae KCTC 12820T (98.40%), Du274T to Pedobacter bambusae KACC 17544T (98.31%) and P351T to Pedobacter mongoliensis KCTC 52859T (97.65%). The draft genomes of Du54T, Du274T and P351T were 4.43, 4.51 and 4.63 Mb in size, with G+C contents of 37.7, 40.6 and 39.2 %, respectively. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between the novel strains and their closest relatives ranged from 73.76 to 76.36% and 18.8 to 22.6%, respectively, supporting their delineation as novel species. Genomic annotation revealed 294, 302 and 238 genes in Du54T, Du274T and P351T, respectively, associated with metal resistance, efflux transporters and stress response. All strains lacked flexirubin-type pigments, contained menaquinone-7 as the major respiratory quinone and possessed phosphatidylethanolamine as the dominant polar lipid. The predominant fatty acids included iso-C16:0 and summed feature 3 (C16:1 omega 7c and/or C16: 1 omega 6c). Based on these results, the names Pedobacter anseongensis sp. nov., Pedobacter immunditicola sp. nov. and Pedobacter superstes sp. nov. are proposed for strains Du54T (=KACC 23093T=LMG 32954T), Du274T (=KACC 23094T=LMG 32955T) and P351T (=KACC 23095T=LMG 32956T), respectively.