Halorubellus salinus gen. nov., sp. nov. and Halorubellus litoreus sp. nov., novel halophilic archaea isolated from a marine solar saltern

• Published in: Systematic and applied microbiology 2012-02, Vol.35 (1), p.30-34
• Main Authors: Cui, Heng-Lin, Mou, Yun-Zhuang, Yang, Xin, Zhou, Yu-Guang, Liu, Hong-Can, Zhou, Pei-Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Archaea; Archaea - classification; Archaea - genetics; Archaea - isolation & purification; Bacteriology; Base Composition; Biological and medical sciences; China; Cluster Analysis; Colonies; DNA; DNA, Archaeal - chemistry; DNA, Archaeal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Glycolipids; Glycolipids - analysis; Halobacteriaceae; Halophilic archaea; Halorubellus litoreus sp. nov; Halorubellus salinus gen. nov., sp. nov; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Lipids; Magnesium - metabolism; Marine solar saltern; Microbial ecology; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; New genera; New species; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; pH effects; Phosphate; phosphatidic acid; phosphatidylglycerol; Phospholipids - analysis; Phylogeny; Pigments, Biological - metabolism; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; RpoB protein; rRNA 16S; salterns; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sodium chloride; Sodium Chloride - metabolism; Systematics; Temperature; Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water)
• ISSN: 0723-2020; 1618-0984
• DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2011.08.001

Two extremely halophilic archaeal strains GX3 T and GX26 T were isolated from the Gangxi marine solar saltern near the Weihai city of Shandong Province, China. Cells from the two strains were pleomorphic and stained Gram-negative, colonies were red-pigmented. Strains GX3 T and GX26 T were able to grow at 25–50 °C (optimum 37 °C), at 1.4–5.1 M NaCl (optimum 3.1 M), at pH 5.5–9.5 (optimum pH 7.0) and neither strain required Mg 2+ for growth. Cells lyse in distilled water and the minimal NaCl concentration to prevent cell-lysis was 8% (w/v). The major polar lipids of the two strains were PA (phosphatidic acid), PG (phosphatidylglycerol), PGP-Me (phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester) and three major glycolipids (GL1, GL2 & GL3) chromatographically identical to S-TGD-1 (sulfated galactosyl mannosy glucosyl diether), S-DGD-1 (sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether), and DGD-1 (mannosyl glucosyl diether) respectively, an unidentified lipid (GL4) was also detected in strain GX26 T. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain GX3 T and strain GX26 T formed a distinct clade with the closest relative, Haladaptatus paucihalophilus (89.9–92.4% and 90.4–92.7, respectively). The rpoB′ gene similarities between strains GX3 T and GX26 T, and between the two strains and the closest relative, Halorussus rarus TBN4 T are 96.5%, 84.3% and 83.9%, respectively. The DNA G+C contents of strain GX3 T and strain GX26 T are 67.3 mol% and 67.2 mol%, respectively. The DNA–DNA hybridization value between strain GX3 T and strain GX26 T was 44%. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties suggest that strain GX3 T and strain GX26 T represent two novel species in a new genus within the family Halobacteriaceae, Halorubellus salinus gen. nov., sp. nov. (type strain GX3 T = CGMCC 1.10384 T = JCM 17115 T) and Halorubellus litoreus sp. nov. (type strain GX26 T = CGMCC 1.10386 T = JCM 17117 T).