András Táncsics

Two Gram-reaction-negative strains, designated as B13 T and MA2-2, were isolated from two different aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading enrichment cultures and characterized using a polyphasic approach to determine their taxonomic position. The two strains had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and were most closely related to Pinisolibacter ravus E9 T (97.36 %) and Siculibacillus lacustris SA-279 T (96.33 %). Cells were facultatively aerobic rods and motile with a single polar flagellum. The strains were able to degrade ethylbenzene as sole source of carbon and energy. The assembled genome of strain B13 T had a total length of 4.91 Mb and the DNA G+C content was 68.8 mol%. The predominant fatty acids (>5 % of the total) of strains B13 T and MA2-2 were C 18 : 1 ω 7 c /C 18 : 1 ω 6 c , C 16 : 1 ω 7 c /C 16 : 1 ω 6 c and C 16 : 0 . The major ubiquinone of strain B13 T was Q10, while the major polar lipids were phosphatidyl- N -methylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and a phospholipid. Based on phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic data, it is concluded that strains B13 T and MA2-2 are members of the genus Pinisolibacter and represent a novel species for which the name Pinisolibacter aquiterrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is strain B13 T (=LMG 32346 T =NCAIM B.02665 T ).