Pseudarthrobacter albicanus sp. nov., isolated from Antarctic soil

A Gram-stain positive, strictly aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped strain, NJ-Z5(T), was isolated from a soil sample obtained from the Antarctic Peninsula. This strain was taxonomically characterized by a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NJ-Z5(T) belonged to the genus Pseudarthrobacter and showed the highest similarities to Pseudarthrobacter sulfonivorans ALL(T) (98.07%), followed by Pseudarthrobacter siccitolerans 4J27(T) (98.00%), Pseudarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans Sphe3(T) (97.93%) and Pseudarthrobacter psychrotolerans YJ56(T) (97.82%). The strain was able to grow at 4-28 degrees C (optimum, 25 degrees C), at pH 6.0-8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and with 0-1.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%). It had catalase activity but no oxidase activity. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain NJ-Z5(T), which had MK-9 (H-2) as its predominant menaquinone and anteiso-C-15:0 (58.5%), anteiso-C-17:0 (9.9%) and iso-C-16:0 (7.0%) as its major fatty acids, were consistent with classification in the genus Pseudarthrobacter. The polar lipid profile of strain NJ-Z5(T) comprised phosphatidylinositol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified glycolipids and two unidentified phospholipids. The genome of strain NJ-Z5(T) was 4.57 Mbp with a G+C content of 67.1 mol%. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain NJ-Z5(T) and other species of the genus Pseudarthrobacter were found to be low (ANIm <86%, ANIb <80% and OrthoANIu <80%). Furthermore, digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average amino acid identity (AAI) values between strain NJ-Z5(T) and the closely related species ranged from 22.7 to 24.0% and from 75.5 to 77.2%, respectively. On the basis of its differential physiological properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics and low ANI, dDDH and AAI results, strain NJ-Z5(T) is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Pseudarthrobacter, for which the name Pseudarthrobacter albicanus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NJ-Z5(T) (=CGMCC 1.15636(T)=KCTC 39722(T)).