Curtobacterium salicis sp. nov., isolated from willow tree stems in Washington state

• Published in: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2024-12, Vol.117 (1), p.62-62, Article 62
• Main Authors: Freeman, John, Firrincieli, Andrea, Baker, Douglas, Doty, Sharon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Assimilation; bacteria; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Branches; carbon; Carbon sources; chemotaxonomy; Curtobacterium; Curtobacterium albidum; Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens; Curtobacterium luteum; fatty acid methyl esters; Fatty acids; Gene sequencing; genome; Genomes; genus; lactic acid; Life Sciences; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; New species; Organic acids; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; Salix; Sodium chloride; Soil Science & Conservation; Strain analysis; succinic acid; temperature; trees; Washington (state); Willow; Willow trees
• ISSN: 0003-6072; 1572-9699; 1572-9699
• DOI: 10.1007/s10482-024-01956-y

Curtobacterium sp. strain WW7 is a Gram-positive, non-motile, orange rod-shaped bacterium isolated from branches of wild willow ( Salix sitchensis ) trees. The WW7 T strain has optimum growth in the temperature range between 25 and 30 °C, a pH range of 6–7.7, and tolerates up to 5.5% (w/v) of NaCl. The genome sequencing of strain WW7 T revealed a genome size of approximately 3.8 Mbp and a G + C content of 71.3 mol%. The phylogenomic analyses support the WW7 T affiliation to a novel Curtobacterium lineage, with Curtobacterium herbarum being the closest type-strain. Chemotaxonomic analysis indicates that the carbon sources assimilation profile of strain WW7 T was similar to the type strains, i.e. Curtobacterium luteum , Curtobacterium albidum, and Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens , while no assimilation of the organic acids succinate, alpha-ketobutyrate, mono methyl-succinate, and lactate was observed. Finally, fatty acid methyl ester analysis identifies anteiso -C 15:0 and anteiso -C 17:0 as major cellular fatty acids which is a common feature for members of the Curtobacterium genus. Based on the results of phylogenomic and chemotaxonomic analyses, strain WW7 T represents a novel Curtobacterium lineage, for which the name Curtobacterium salicis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WW7 T (DSM 34805 T -NRRL B-68078 T ).