Oleispira antarctica gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacterium isolated from Antarctic coastal sea water

1 Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico, CNR, Spianata San Raineri 86, 98122 Messina, Italy 2 Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Università di Messina, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina, Italy 3 Department of Microbiology, GBF – German Research Center for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany 4 Institute of Microbiology, Biozentrum, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany Correspondence Michail M. Yakimov iakimov{at}ist.me.cnr.it The taxonomic characteristics of two bacterial strains, RB-8 T and RB-9, isolated from hydrocarbon-degrading enrichment cultures obtained from Antarctic coastal marine environments (Rod Bay, Ross Sea), were determined. These bacteria were psychrophilic, aerobic and Gram-negative with polar flagella. Growth was not observed in the absence of NaCl, occurred only at concentrations of Na + above 20 mM and was optimal at an NaCl concentration of 3–5 % (w/v). The major cellular fatty acids were monounsaturated straight-chain fatty acids. The strains were able to synthesize the polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (20 : 5 3) at low temperatures. The DNA G+C contents were 41–42 mol%. The strains formed a distinct phyletic line within the - Proteobacteria , with less than 89·6 % sequence identity to their closest relatives within the Bacteria with validly published names. Both isolates exhibited a restricted substrate profile, with a preference for aliphatic hydrocarbons, that is typical of marine hydrocarbonoclastic micro-organisms such as Alcanivorax , Marinobacter and Oleiphilus . On the basis of ecophysiological properties, G+C content, 16S rRNA gene sequences and fatty acid composition, a novel genus and species within the - Proteobacteria are proposed, Oleispira antarctica gen. nov., sp. nov.; strain RB-8 T (=DSM 14852 T =LMG 21398 T ) is the type strain. Abbreviations: PLFA, phospholipid fatty acid; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid Published online ahead of print on 18 October 2002 as DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.02366-0. The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the 16S rDNA sequences of Oleispira antarctica strains RB-8 T and RB-9 are respectively AJ426420 and AJ426421 .