Formosa Maritima Sp. Nov., Isolated From Coastal Sediment

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, gliding-motile, rod-shaped and orange-pigmented bacterium, designated 1494(T), was isolated from marine sediment collected off the coast of Weihai, PR China. Strain 1494(T) was found to grow at 4-37 degrees C (optimum, 30 degrees C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-8% (w/v) NaCl (2%). Cells were positive for oxidase and catalase activity. The results of 165 rRNA gene based phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain 1494(T) belonged to the genus Formosa and exhibited the highest sequence similarity to Formosa spongicola KCTC 22662(T) (98.4%). Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was detected as the major respiratory quinone. The dominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C-15:1 G and iso-C. The DNA G+C content of strain 1494(T) was 31.1 mol%. The major polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid and one unidentified lipid. Based on its phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain 1494(T) is considered to represent a novel species from the genus Formosa, for which the name Formosa maritima sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 1494(T) (=KCIC 72531(T). MCCC 1H00385(T)).