Genomic and Physiological Characterization of Metabacillus flavus sp. nov., a Novel Carotenoid-Producing Bacilli Isolated from Korean Marine Mud

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 5; p. 979
• Main Authors: Hwang, Chi Young, Cho, Eui-Sang, Yoon, Deok Jun, Cha, In-Tae, Jung, Dong-Hyun, Nam, Young-Do, Park, So-Lim, Lim, Seong-Il, Seo, Myung-Ji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07-05-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino acids; Bacilli; Bacteria; Biosynthesis; Cardiolipin; carotenoid; Carotenoids; Cell membranes; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Genomic analysis; Hybridization; isolation; Lipids; marine mud; Menaquinones; Metabacillus; Microorganisms; Microscopy; New species; Nucleotides; Phosphatidylglycerol; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Physiology; polyphasic taxonomy; Quinones; Sodium chloride; Taxonomy; United States > US; Japan; Germany; Metabacillus; marine mud; isolation; carotenoid; polyphasic taxonomy
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050979

The newly isolated strain KIGAM252
was found to be facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, spore-forming, and rod-shaped. They grew at 10-45 °C, pH 6.0-10.0, and were able to tolerate up to 6% NaCl in the growth medium. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the KIGAM252
strain was related to the genus
. The cell membrane fatty acid composition of strain KIGAM252
included C
anteiso and C
iso (25.6%) as the major fatty acids, and menaquinone 7 was the predominant isoprenoid quinone. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The size of the whole genome was 4.30 Mbp, and the G + C content of the DNA was 43.8%. Average nucleotide and amino acid identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values were below the species delineation threshold. Pan-genomic analysis revealed that 15.8% of all genes present in strain KIGAM252
was unique to the strain. The analysis of the secondary biosynthetic pathway predicted the carotenoid synthetic gene cluster in the strain KIGAM252
. Based on these current polyphasic taxonomic data, strain KIGAM252
represents a novel species of the genus
that produces carotenoids, for which we propose the name
sp. nov. The type of strain was KIGAM252
(=KCTC 43261
= JCM 34406
).