Sphingobacterium faecale sp. nov., a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacterium isolated from camel faeces

An investigation of the diversity of 1- aminocyclopropane- 1- carboxylate deaminase producing bacteria associated with camel faeces revealed the presence of a novel bacterial strain designated C459- 1T. It was Gram- stain- negative, short- rod- shaped and non-motile. Strain C459-1T was observed to grow optimally at 35 degrees C, at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 0 % NaCl on Luria-Bertani agar medium. The cells were found to be positive for catalase and oxidase activities. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were identified as iso- C15:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1 omega 6c and/or C16: 1 omega 7c) and iso- C17: 0 3- OH. The predominant menaquinone was MK- 7. The major polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, one sphingophospholipid, two unknown aminophospholipids, three unknown glycolipids and five unknown lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 40.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain C459- 1T was affiliated with the genus Sphingobacterium and had the highest sequence similarity to Sphingobacterium tabacisoli h337T (97.0 %) and Sphingobacterium paucimobilis HER1398T (95.6 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain C459- 1T and S. tabacisoli h337T were 83.8 and 33.8 %, respectively. Phenotypic characteristics including enzyme activities and carbon source utilization differentiated strain C459-1T from other Sphingobacterium species. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain C459-1T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium faecale sp. nov. is proposed, with strain is C459- 1T (CGMCC 1.18716T=KCTC 82381T) as the type strain.