Proposal for transfer of Oceanibulbus indolifex Wagner-Dobler et al. 2004 to the genus Sulfitobacter as Sulfitobacter indolifex comb. nov.

A polyphasic taxonomic study was undertaken to clarify the exact position of type strain HEL-45(T) of Oceanibulbusindolifex Wagner-Dbler et al. 2004. A combination of physiological properties of HEL-45(T) were similar to those of its closest relatives, Sulfitobacterdelicatus KMM 3584(T) and Sulfitobacterdubius KMM 3554(T). The results of 16S rRNA gene sequences analysis indicated that HEL-45(T) and the two relatives shared 99.6% similarity and formed a coherent cluster in the phylogenetic tree. The close relationship between HEL-45(T) and the two relatives was underpinned by the results for chemotaxonomic characters, including the fatty acids, quinone and polar lipids. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values and between HEL45(T) and the two relatives were 25.9 and 31.6 %, respectively, which were well below the 70% threshold value recommended for delineation of bacterial species. The comparative phenotypic and genotypic analyses supported the incorporation of Oceanibulbusindolifex into the genus Sulfitobacter as Sulfitobacterindolifex comb. nov.; the type strain is HEL-45(T) (= MCCC 1A11773(T) = DSM 14862(T) = NCIMB 13983(T)).