Saccharibacillus kuerlensis sp nov., isolated from a desert soil

A taxonomic study was performed on strain HR1(T), which was isolated from a desert soil sample collected from Xinjiang Province (China). Cells were aerobic, Gram-positive-staining, pink-pigmented, sporulating rods with a single lateral flagellum. The organism can grow at 15-42 degrees C and pH 5.0-10.0, optimally at 30-37 degrees C and pH 6.0-8.0. Growth is inhibited by 6% NaCl. Analysis of almost-complete 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the isolate represents a distinct taxon within the genus Saccharibacillus; Saccharibacillus sacchari LMG 24085(T) was the nearest relative (97.9% sequence similarity). DNA-DNA hybridization showed 29.6% genetic relatedness between strain HR1(T) and S. sacchari LMG 24085(T). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7 and the predominant fatty acid was anteiso-C-15:0 (50.3%). The G + C content of the DNA was 50.5 mol%. Therefore, based on phenotypic criteria and the phylogenetic position, strain HR1(T) belongs to a previously unidentified species of the genus Saccharibacillus, for which the name Saccharibacillus kuerlensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HR1(T) (=KCTC 13182(T) =JCM 14865(T) =CGMCC 1.6964(T)).