Rhizobium capsici sp. nov., isolated from root tumor of a green bell pepper (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) plant

A novel, Gram-staining-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic and motile bacterium, designated strain CC-SKC2ᵀ, was isolated from the root tumor of a green bell pepper (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) plant in Taiwan. Cells were positive for oxidase and catalase activities and exhibited growth at 25–37 °C, pH 4.0–9.0 and tolerated NaCl concentrations up to 4.0 % (w/v). Strain CC-SKC2ᵀis able to trigger nodulation in soybean (Glycine max Merr.), but not in Capsicum annuum var. grossum, red bean (Vigna angularis), sesbania (Sesbania roxburghii Merr.) or alfalfa (Medicago varia Martin.). The novel strain shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Rhizobium rhizoryzae KCTC 23652ᵀand Rhizobium straminoryzae CC-LY845ᵀ(both 97.5 %) followed by Rhizobium lemnae L6-16ᵀ(97.3 %), Rhizobium pseudoryzae KCTC 23294ᵀ(97.1 %), and Rhizobium paknamense NBRC 109338ᵀ(97.0 %), whereas other Rhizobium species shared