Echinicola salinicaeni sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from saltern mud

A novel gram-negative, aerobic, pink, motile, gliding, rod-shaped bacterium, designated P51(T), was isolated from saline silt samples in Yantai, China. It was able to grow at 4-42 degrees C (optimum 33 degrees C), pH 4.0-9.0 (optimum 7.0), and in 0-11.0% NaCl (optimum 4.0%, w/v). It grew at 4 degrees C, which was lower than the minimum temperature for related strains. The genome consisted of 4111 genes with a total length of 5 139 782 bp. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain P51(T) was a member of the genus Echinicola and most closely related to 'Echinicola shivajiensis'. A genome analysis identified genes encoding proteins associated with carbon source utilisation, and the carotenoid biosynthesis and beta-lactam resistance pathways. Strain P51(T) shared an average nucleotide identity value below 84.7%, an average amino acid identity value between 70.8 and 89.3%, and a digital DNA-DNA hybridisation identity of between 17.9-28.2% with closely related type strains within the genus Echinicola. The sole menaquinone was MK-7, and the major fatty acids were iso-C-15:0, summed feature 3 (C-16:1 omega 7c and/or C-16:1 omega 6c), summed feature 4 (anteiso-C-17:1 B and/or iso-C-17:1 I), and summed feature 9 (iso-C-17:1 omega 9c and/or 10-methyl C-16:0). The polar lipids included one phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified phospholipid, three unidentified aminolipids, and one unknown lipid. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses suggest that strain P51(T) is a novel species of the genus Echinicola, for which the name Echinicola salinicaeni sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain was P51(T) (KCTC 82513(T) = MCCC 1K04413(T)).