Chryseobacterium endophyticum sp nov., isolated from a maize leaf

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, yellow-pigmented, flexirubin-producing, rod-shaped and endophytic bacterium, designated strain CC-YTH209(T), was isolated from a maize leaf and subjected to a taxonomic study. Strain CC-YTH209(T) was found to grow at 15-40 degrees C (optimal 30 degrees C), at pH 6.0-8.0 (optimal pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-2% (optimal 1 %) (w/v) NaCl. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain CC-YTH209(T) appeared to belong to the genus Chryseobacterium within the class Flavobacteriia, and was closely related to Chryseobacterium rigui CJ16(T) (97.5% similarity) and Chryseobacterium taeanense PHA3-4(T) (96.9 %). The level of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain CC-YTH209(T) and Chryseobacterium. rigui CJ16(T) was 14.4% (reciprocal, 13.0 %). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes revealed a distinct taxonomic position attained by strain CC-YTH209(T) within the clade that accommodated Chryseobacterium species. The DNA G+C content was 37.2 mol%. Strain CC-YTH209(T) contained menaquinone MK-6 as the predominant respiratory quinone and symhomospermidine as the major polyamine. The major cellular fatty acids of the isolate were iso-C-15:0, iso-C-17:0 3-OH and C-16:1 omega 6c/C-16:1 omega 7c. The polar lipid profile comprised phosphatidylethanolamine and five aminolipids, three lipids, one glycolipid, one aminophospholipid and one phospholipid, which are presently uncharacterized. On the basis of evidence presented in this study, strain CC-YTH209(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Chryseobacterium, for which the name Chryseobacterium endophyticum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-YTH209(T) (= BCRC 80938(T) = JCM 31226(T)).