Desulfomonile tiedjei gen. nov. and sp. nov., a novel anaerobic,dehalogenating, sulfate-reducing bacterium

An anaerobic, dehalogenating, sulfate-reducing bacterium, strain DCB-1, is described and nutritionally characterized. The bacterium is a Gram-negative, nonmotile, non-sporeforming large rod with an unusual morphological feature which resembles a collar. The microorganism reductively dehalogenates meta substituted halobenzoates and also reduces sulfate, sulfite and thiosulfate as electron acceptors. The bacterium requires nicotinamide, 1,4-naphthoquinone and thiamine for optimal growth in a defined medium. The microorganism can grow autotrophically on H₂:CO₂ with sulfate or thiosulfate as terminal electron acceptors. It can also grow heterotrophically with pyruvate, several methoxybenzoates, formate plus sulfate or benzoate plus sulfate. It ferments pyruvate to acetate and lactate in the absence of other electron acceptors. The bacterium is inhibited by MoO _inf4 ^sup2- or SeO _inf4 ^sup2- as well as tetracycline, chloramphenicol, kanamycin or streptomycin. Cytochrome c₃ and desulfoviridin have been purified from cells grown in defined medium. 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicates the organism is a new genus of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the delta subdivision of the class Proteobacteria. We propose that the strain be named Desulfomonile tiedjei.Non-standard abbreviations PIPES piperazine-N,N-bis2-ethanesulfonic acid] - MES 2-N-morpholino]ethanesulfonic acid - TES N-trishydroxymethyl]methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid - HQNO 2-N-heptyl-4-hydroxy-quinoline-N-oxide - CCCP carbonyl-cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazine - CM carboxymethyl