6533b7dbfe1ef96bd12714ae

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Belnapia mucosa sp. nov. and Belnapia arida sp. nov., isolated from desert biocrust

subject

description

Two novel Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, cocci-shaped, non-motile, non-spore forming, pink-pigmented bacteria designated strains T6T and T18T, were isolated from a biocrust (biological soil crust) sample from the vicinity of the Tabernas Desert (Spain). Both strains were catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, and grew under mesophilic, neutrophilic and non-halophilic conditions. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequences, strains T6T and T18T showed similarities with Belnapia rosea CGMCC 1.10758T and Belnapia moabensis CP2CT (98.11 and 98.55% gene sequence similarity, respectively). The DNA G+C content was 69.80 and 68.96% for strains T6T and T18T, respectively; the average nucleotide identity by blast (ANIb) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values confirmed their adscription to two novel species within the genus Belnapia. The predominant fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0, C18 : 1 2-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c). According to he results of the polyphasic study, strains T6T and T18T represent two novel species in the genus Belnapia (which currently includes only three species), for which names Belnapia mucosa sp. nov. (type strain T6T = CECT 30228T=DSM 112073T) and Belnapia arida sp. nov. (type strain T18T=CECT 30229T=DSM 112074T) are proposed, respectively.