Culture studies on the rare brown alga Phaeostroma longisetum comb.nov. and its common relative P. pustulosum from Greenland

Culture studies have shown that the rarely reported alga, Symphyocarpus longisetus , agrees with the type species of Phaeostroma with regard to its mode of formation of plurilocular sporangia, number of chloroplasts, and type of true hairs, and disagrees with the type species of Symphyocarpus. The new combination, Phaeostroma longisetum , is proposed. Unilocular sporangia are reported for the first time in this species. The life history is of the direct type under all conditions tested. The species grows and reproduces also at 15°C LD conditions although generally considered an arctic species.
Phaeostroma pustulosum probably also has a homophasic, direct type of life history. The plants are either pseudoparenchymatous discs or branched filaments. The filamentous thalli are in agreement with the younger taxon Phaeostroma aequale (= Streblonema aequale).     

Exiguobacterium algae sp. nov. and Exiguobacterium qingdaonense sp. nov., two novel moderately halotolerant bacteria isolated from the coastal algae

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek - Two Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strains, S126T and S82T, were isolated from coastal algae of China. Strains S126T and S82T are...     

The genus Glochidinium gen. nov., with two species: G. penardiforme comb. nov. and G. platygaster sp. nov. (Peridiniaceae)

Glochidiniumgen. nov., a ncw genus of Peridiniaceae based on Peridinium penardiforme Lindemann, is herewith erected. Its plate formula is: Po+X+4′+6′′+3C+4S+5′′′+2′′′′ Main diagnostic characters of this new genus are the presence of only 3 cingular plates (it lacks the transitionalone), the third cingular contacting the anterior sulcal plate, and an unusual sulcus holding a small triangular posterior sulcal plate. The thecal morphology and structure of two freshwater planktic species of the genus are described on the basis of LM and SEM observations. G. penardiforme comb. nov. is an infrequent species, albeit widely distributed world-wide. It has been recorded under the names of Peridinium, Glenodinium and Peridiniopsis. Peculiar features in the tabulation of the furrows and of the surface sculpture show that the species does not fit any of the known genera, for which reason the new genus Glochidinium is established. G. platygaster sp. nov., the second species included in the genus, differs from the former by its elongated body, the regular pentagonal shape of its large first apical plate, an equally large sulcal anterior plate, and well developed sculpture, chiefly on the antapical plates. Glochidinium penardiforme and G. platygaster were found in some reservoirs from central and northern Argentina. G. penardiforme was also found in several Argentine rivers and ponds.     

Winogradskyella undariae sp. nov., a member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from a brown algae reservoir

A novel bacterial strain, designated WS-MY5^T, capable of degrading a variety of polysaccharides was isolated from a brown algae (Undaria pinnatifida) reservoir at Wando in the South Sea, South Korea. Strain WS-MY5^T was found to grow optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–7.5 and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain WS-MY5^T falls within the clade comprising Winogradskyella species, clustering with the type strains of Winogradskyella pacifica, Winogradskyella arenosi, Winogradskyella rapida and Winogradskyella thalassocola, with which it exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.3–98.8 %. It exhibited sequence similarity values of 93.0–96.2 % to the type strains of the other recognized Winogradskyella species. Strain WS-MY5^T was found to contain MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and anteiso-C_15:0, iso-C_15:0, iso-C_15:0 3-OH, iso-C_17:0 3-OH and iso-C_15:1 G as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain WS-MY5^T were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified lipids and two unidentified aminolipids. The DNA G+C content of strain WS-MY5^T was determined to be 33.2 mol% and its DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains of W. pacifica, W. arenosi, W. rapida and W. thalassocola were in the range 16–28 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, enabled strain WS-MY5^T to be differentiated from the recognized Winogradskyella species. On the basis of the data presented here, strain WS-MY5^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Winogradskyella, for which the name Winogradskyella undariae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WS-MY5^T (=KCTC 32261^T=CCUG 63832^T).     

Desulfolutivibrio sulfoxidireducens gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a pyrite-forming enrichment culture and reclassification of Desulfovibrio sulfodismutans as Desulfolutivibrio sulfodismutans comb. nov

Two strains of sulfate-reducing bacteria (J.5.4.2-L4.2.8^T and J.3.6.1-H7) were isolated from a pyrite-forming enrichment culture and were compared phylogenetically and physiologically to the closest related type strain Desulfovibrio sulfodismutans DSM 3696^T. The isolated strains were vibrio-shaped, motile rods that stained Gram-negative. Growth occurred from 15 to 37 °C and within a pH range of 6.5–8.5. Both strains used sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfite, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as electron acceptor when grown with lactate. Lactate was incompletely oxidized to acetate. Formate and H₂ were used as electron donor in the presence of acetate. Dismutation of thiosulfate and pyrosulfite was observed. The two new isolates differed from D. sulfodismutans by the utilization of DMSO as electron acceptor, 82% genome-wide average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 32% digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), thus representing a novel species. The type strain of the type species Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Essex6^T revealed merely 88% 16S rRNA gene identity and 49% genome-wide average amino acid identity (AAI) to the new isolates as well as to D. sulfodismutans. Furthermore, the dominance of menaquinone MK-7 over MK-6 and the dominance of ai-C_15:0 fatty acids were observed not only in the two new isolated strains but also in D. sulfodismutans. Therefore, the definition of a new genus is indicated for which the name Desulfolutivibrio is proposed. We propose for strains J.5.4.2-L4.2.8^T and J.3.6.1-H7 the name Desulfolutivibrio sulfoxidireducens gen. nov. sp. nov. with strain J.5.4.2-L4.2.8^T defined as type strain. In addition, we propose the reclassification of Desulfovibrio sulfodismutans as Desulfolutivibrio sulfodismutans comb. nov.     

Pontisma blauvikense sp. nov. the first member of the early-diverging oomycete genus Pontisma parasitizing brown algae

Holocarpic oomycetes have been neglected over several decades, until interest in these organisms has recently resurged. One of the most widespread genera of holocarpic oomycetes is Pontisma, parasitic to red seaweeds throughout all oceans. Recently, the genus Sirolpidium (parasitic to green algae) was found to be congeneric with Pontisma. This hinted at a high pathogenic versatility and prompted the screening of other macroalgae on the coastline of Iceland. During this survey a parasite of the brown algae Pylaiella littoralis was found, which formed anisolpidium-like thalli, but produced biflagellate zoospores. Phylogenetic investigations revealed that the parasite was placed in the genus Pontisma. In reconstructions based on partial nrSSU sequences, it grouped with some sequences of parasitoids of the diatom genus Licmophora, but the more variable mitochondrial cox2 sequences were divergent. Based on phylogenetic evidence and the unique parasitism of brown algae, the parasitoid is described as Pontisma blauvikense in this study. Pontisma blauvikense is the fourth oomycete species parasitic to Pylaiella, which is also parasitised by Euychasma dicksonii and two Anisolpidium species. For a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of holocarpic oomycetes, further research is necessary to investigate the host spectrum of Pontisma in general and Pontisma blauvikense in particular.     

Wigwamma scenozonion sp.nov. (Prymnesiophyceae) from West Greenland

Wigwamma scenozonion sp. nov. (Prymnesiophyceae) is described on the basis of electron microscopy of shadowcast whole mounts prepared from water samples collected in the vicinity of Godhavn (West Greenland) in July and August 1977. This nanoplanktonic coccolithophorid possesses two smooth flagella and a shorter coiling haptonema. Coccoliths of one type cover the whole cell. Each coccolith is composed of a ring of rod-like crystallites joined end to end and arranged parallel to the edge of the oval coccolith base-plates. A single enlarged crystallite is found on most coccoliths. W. scenozonion is distinguished from the two previously described Wigwamma species by the lack of coccolith superstructures and by having one, rather than two rings of crystallites along the base-plate edge. In addition to the West Greenland specimens a single W. scenozonion cell has been encountered in a water sample from Denmark.     

Arecophila bambusae sp. nov. andA. coronata comb. nov., from dead culms of bamboo

A new species ofArecophila and a species previously known asAmphisphaeria coronata are described and illustrated from dead culms of bamboo.Arecophila bambusae sp. nov. is distinct in the genus in having ellipsoidal ascospores with slightly round ends, and asci with a narrow subapical ring.Arecophila coronata comb. nov. has asci with a wedgeshaped apical ring and weakly striated ascospores enclosed in wide mucilaginous sheath.     

Algibacter miyuki sp. nov., a member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from leachate of a brown algae reservoir

A Gram-negative, aerobic, non-flagellated, non-gliding and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated WS-MY6^T, was isolated from a brown algae reservoir in South Korea. Strain WS-MY6^T grew optimally at 25 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain WS-MY6^T clustered with the type strains of Algibacter lectus and ‘Algibacter undariae’, showing 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 98.1 and 98.4 %, respectively. It exhibited sequence similarities of 95.4–96.7 % to the type strains of the other Algibacter species, Pontirhabdus pectinovorans and Marinivirga aestuarii, whose reclassification into the genus Algibacter has been recently proposed. Strain WS-MY6^T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C_15:1 G, anteiso-C_15:0 and iso-C_17:0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. It contained phosphatidylethanolamine and two unidentified lipids as the major polar lipids. The DNA G + C content of strain WS-MY6^T was 35.3 mol% and its DNA–DNA relatedness values with A. lectus KCTC 12103^T and ‘A. undariae’ WS-MY9^T was 21 and 13 %, respectively. The phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness and differential phenotypic properties revealed that strain WS-MY6^T is separate from existing Algibacter species. On the basis of the data presented, strain WS-MY6^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Algibacter, for which the name Algibacter miyuki sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WS-MY6^T (=KCTC 32382^T =CECT 8300^T).     

Description of Pseudoclavibacter triregionum sp. nov. from human blood and Pseudoclavibacter albus comb. nov., and revised classification of the genus Pseudoclavibacter: proposal of Caespitibacter gen. nov., with Caespitibacter soli comb. nov. and Caespitibacter caeni comb. nov

We present polyphasic taxonomic data to demonstrate that strain 125703-2019^T, a human blood isolate, represents a novel species within the genus Pseudoclavibacter, and to reclassify the illegitimate Zimmermannella alba Lin et al., 2004 as Pseudoclavibacter albus comb. nov. Upon primary isolation, strain 125703-2019^T could not be identified reliably using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry during routine diagnostic work, but partial 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that it belonged to the genus Pseudoclavibacter. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridisation analyses confirmed that it represented a novel species within this genus. A detailed physiological characterisation yielded differential tests between the novel species and its nearest neighbor taxa, which could also be differentiated using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. We propose to formally classify this strain into the novel species Pseudoclavibacter triregionum sp. nov., with strain 125703-2019^T (=?R-76471^T, LMG 31777^T, CCUG 74796^T) as the type strain. The whole-genome assembly of strain 125703-2019^T has a size of 2.4 Mb and a G?+?C content of 72.74%. A Pseudoclavibacter pangenome analysis revealed that 667 gene clusters were exclusively present in strain 125703-2019^T. While these gene clusters were enriched in several COG functional categories, this analysis did not reveal functions that explained the occurrence of this species in human infection. Finally, several phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses demonstrated that the genus Pseudoclavibacter is polyphyletic with Pseudoclavibacter soli and Pseudoclavibacter caeni representing a unique and deeply branching line of descent within the family Microbacteriaceae. We therefore also propose to reclassify both species into the novel genus Caespitibacter gen. nov. as Caespitibacter soli comb. nov. and Caespitibacter caeni comb. nov., respectively, and with C. soli comb. nov. as the type species.

     

Description ofOceanospirillum kriegii sp. nov. andO. jannaschii sp. nov. and assignment of two species ofAlteromonas to this genus asO. commune comb. nov. andO. vagum comb. nov

Immunological studies of Fe-containing superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) and glutamine synthetase (GS) have established a close relationship betweenOceanospirillum linum (the type species of the genus),O. beijerinckii, Alteromonas communis, A. vaga, and two unnamed species of marine bacteria (groups H-1 and I-1). The four latter species have, consequently, been assigned to the genusOceanospirillum asO. commune comb. nov.,O. vagum comb. nov.,O. kriegii sp. nov. (group H-1; type strain 197, ATCC 27133), andO. jannaschii sp. nov. (group I-1; type strain 207, ATCC 27135). The phenotypic properties of these species are presented together with their distinguishing traits.     

Proposal of Ensifer psoraleae sp. nov., Ensifer sesbaniae sp. nov., Ensifer morelense comb. nov. and Ensifer americanum comb. nov

In a survey of rhizobia associated with the native legumes in Yunnan Province, China, seven and nine strains isolated from the root nodules of Psoralea corylifolia, Sesbania cannabina and Medicago lupulina were respectively classified into the novel genomic species groups I and II in the genus Ensifer (former Sinorhizobium) based on the sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. Analyses of concatenated housekeeping genes (atpD, recA and glnII) further revealed that they were distinct lineages in the genus, and group I was most similar to Ensifer terangae and Ensifer garamanticus (both with 94.2% similarity), while group II was most similar to Ensifer adhaerens (94.0%). These groups could be distinguished from closely related species by DNA–DNA relatedness, MALID-TOF MS, cellular fatty acid profiles and a series of phenotypic characters. Therefore, two novel species were proposed: Ensifer psoraleae sp. nov. (seven strains, type strain CCBAU 65732^T = LMG 26835^T = HAMBI 3286^T) and Ensifer sesbaniae sp. nov. (nine strains, type strain CCBAU 65729^T = LMG 26833^T = HAMBI 3287^T). They had a DNA G + C mol% (T_m) of 58.9 and 60.4, respectively. Both of the type strains formed effective nodules on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and their hosts of origin. In addition, the previously described species Sinorhizobium morelense and Sinorhizobium americanum were renamed as Ensifer morelense comb. nov. and Ensifer americanum comb. nov. according to the accumulated data from different studies.     

Chassalia magnificens sp. nov. and C. chrysoclada comb. nov. (Rubiaceae) from central Africa

Chassalia magnificens, a new species from the Albertine Rift in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is described and illustrated. The species is recognised inter alia by its large stipules and montane habitat. Chassalia chrysoclada is a new combination for a widespread, but hitherto overlooked, central African species originally described in the genus Psychotria. Chassalia chrysoclada is related to C. pteropetala (K. Schum.) Cheek but lacks the bicostate twigs and dorsally winged corolla lobes of that species.     

Phylogenetic analysis of Alysiella and related genera of Neisseriaceae: proposal of Alysiella crassa comb. nov., Conchiformibium steedae gen. nov., comb. nov., Conchiformibium kuhniae sp. nov. and Bergeriella denitrificans gen. nov., comb. nov

A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences reveals that Alysiella filiformis belongs to the family Neisseriaceae. The genus Simonsiella is phylogenetically separated by the genera Kingella and Neisseria. The species Simonsiella crassa and A. filiformis show a close phylogenetic relationship, with the 16S rDNA sequence similarity and the DNA-DNA hybridization representing 98.7% and 35%, respectively. Therefore, S. crassa should be transferred from the genus Simonsiella to the genus Alysiella as Alysiella crassa comb. nov. Simonsiella steedae and Simonsiella sp. of cat origin show strong genetic affinities and are distantly related with the type species of Simonsiella, S. mulleri. Thus, a new genus, Conchiformibium is proposed; Conchiformibium steedae comb. nov. and Conchiformibium kuhniae sp. nov. are accommodated in this new genus. On the basis of the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic distinction from the genus Neisseria, N. denitrificans should be reclassified, for which a new genus and new combination Bergeriella denitrificans are proposed.     

Papposphaera iugifera nov. sp. from West Greenland,Svalbard, and the Baltic Sea

We are currently revisiting coccolithophore genera and species described from high latitudes in both hemispheres, and also in the process describing new taxa when appropriate, with the aim of providing the best possible framework for polar species segregation based on external morphological features only. The present paper thus introduces Papposphaera iugifera nov. sp. from West Greenland (Disko – type locality), Svalbard (Isfjorden) and the Baltic Sea (Bothnian Sea). P. iugifera is clearly related to P. sagittifera, P. sarion and P. arctica and forms with these a continuum of species that are, with the exception of P. sarion, on the one hand much similar with respect to calicate spine details, while on the other hand clearly differentiated with respect to the complexity of central area calcification. While this is extensive in P. sagittifera it is reduced to just a single transverse bar or even completely absent in P. iugifera.     

Systematic study of the genus Acetobacter with descriptions of Acetobacter indonesiensis sp. nov., Acetobacter tropicalis sp. nov., Acetobacter orleanensis (Henneberg 1906) comb. nov., Acetobacter lovaniensis (Frateur 1950) comb. nov., and Acetobacter estunensis (Carr 1958) comb. nov

Thirty-one Acetobacter strains obtained from culture collections and 45 Acetobacter strains isolated from Indonesian sources were investigated for their phenotypic characteristics, ubiquinone systems, DNA base compositions, and levels of DNA-DNA relatedness. Of 31 reference strains, six showed the presence of ubiquinone 10 (Q-10). These strains were eliminated from the genus Acetobacter. The other 25 reference strains and 45 Indonesian isolates were subjected to a systematic study and separated into 8 distinct groups on the basis of DNA-DNA relatedness. The known species, Acetobacter aceti, A. pasteurianus, and A. peroxydans are retained for three of these groups. New combinations, A. orleanensis (Henneberg 1906) comb. nov., A. lovaniensis (Frateur 1950) comb. nov., and A. estunensis (Carr 1958) comb. nov. are proposed for three other groups. Two new species, A. indonesiensis sp. nov. and A. tropicalis sp. nov. are proposed for the remaining two. No Indonesian isolates were identified as A. aceti, A. estunensis, and A. peroxydans. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of 16S rDNA sequences was carried out for representative strains from each of the groups. This supported that the eight species belonged to the genus Acetobacter. Several strains previously assigned to the species of A. aceti and A. pasteurianus were scattered over the different species. It is evident that the value of DNA-DNA relatedness between strains comprising a new species should be determined for the establishment of the species. Thus current bacterial species without data of DNA-DNA relatedness should be reexamined for the stability of bacterial nomenclature.