Bacillus Glennii Sp. Nov. And Bacillus Saganii Sp. Nov., Isolated From The Vehicle Assembly Building At Kennedy Space Center Where The Viking Spacecraft Were Assembled

Two Gram-stain-positive, motile, endospore-forming, aerobic strains, designated V44-8(T) and V47-23a(T), were isolated from environmental air sampling at the vehicle assembly building at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where the Viking spacecraft were assembled. Growth was observed at pH 7-9 (optimum, pH 9) for strain V44-8(T), and pH 5-10 (pH 9) for strain V47-23a(T). Both strains displayed growth in 0-5% NaCl with an optimum at 1% for strain V44-8(T); 0% for strain V47-23a(T). Strains V44-8(T) and V47-23a(T) grew optimally at 32 degrees C, (15-32 degrees C) and 25 degrees C (20-45 degrees C), respectively. The cell wall of both strains contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. Both strains contained phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol. The predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-14:0 and iso-C-15:0. Strain V47.23a(T) shared its highest 16S rRNA sequence similarity with Bacillus cavernae DSM-105484(T) at 96.9%, and V44.8(T) with Bacillus zeae DSM-103964(T) at 96.6%. Based on their phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic position inferred from 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, the isolates were identified as being a members of the genus Bacillus that forms a separate clade when compared to close relatives. Average nucleotide identity and average amino acid identity values between strains V44-8(T) and DSM-103964(T) were 72.1% and 67.5%; V47-23a(T) and DSM-105484(T) were 62.4% and 69.1%, respectively. Based on the phenotypic, genomic and biochemical data, strains V44-8(T) and V47-23a(T) represent two novel species in the genus Bacillus for which the names Bacillus glennii sp. nov. [type strain, V44-8(T) (=ATCC BAA-2860(T) =DSM 105192(T))], and Bacillus saganii sp. nov. [V47-23a(T) (=ATCC BAA-2861(T)=DSM 105190(T))] are proposed.