Oleiharenicola

Abstract O.le.i.ha.re.ni ' co.la. L. neut. n. oleum , oil; L. fem. n. harena , sand; L. suffix ‐ cola , inhabitant, dweller; N.L. masc. n. Oleiharenicola defines an inhabitant of oil sands wastewater. Verrucomicrobiota / Opitutae / Opitutales / Opitutaceae / Oleiharenicola The genus Oleiharenicola consists of two described species of strictly aerobic chemoorganotrophic bacteria: Oleiharenicola alkalitolerans and Oleiharenicola lentus . Cells are Gram‐negative, non‐spore‐forming, and nonpigmented cocci or diplococci (0.5–1.5 μm in diameter). The two species, and some closely related strains described in nontaxonomic literature, were all isolated from terrestrial freshwater or wastewater environments. The type strain Oleiharenicola alkalitolerans NVT T was isolated from the tailings pond of an oil sands mining operation (hence the genus name), and Oleiharenicola lentus TWA‐58 T from agricultural irrigation water, while closely related bacteria (originally dubbed “Lacunisphaera,” but probably Oleiharenicola spp.) have also been isolated from a freshwater lake. Bacteria of the genus Oleiharenicola are mesophilic (optimum 25–37°C) and neutrophilic (optimum pH 6–8), but O. alkalitolerans tolerates alkaline conditions up to pH 11. Cells reproduce by normal cell division and occur mainly as single cells or pairs. Their carbon and energy sources include several sugars, polysaccharides, and organic acids. The DNA G + C content is 65.3–66.1 mol%. The major isoprenoid quinone is MK‐7, while anteiso‐C 15:0 and iso‐C 15:0 are the major cellular fatty acids. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the genus belongs to the family Opitutaceae of the phylum Verrucomicrobiota . DNA G + C content (mol%) : 65.3–66.1. Type species : Oleiharenicola alkalitolerans Rochman et al. 2018 VP .