Altererythrobacter indicus sp. nov., isolated from wild rice (Porteresia coarctata Tateoka)

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming organism, strain MSSRF26T, was isolated from mangrove-associated wild rice in India. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, strain MSSRF26T was shown to belong to the Alphaproteobacteria, most closely related to Altererythrobacter luteolus and Altererythrobacter epoxidivorans (96.1 and 95.9 % similarity to the respective type strains). Chemotaxonomic data [major ubiquinones Q-10 (91 %) and Q-9 (9 %); major polyamine spermidine, with putrescine, cadaverine and spermine detected only in trace amounts; major polar lipids phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and sphingoglycolipid; major fatty acid C18 : 1 omega 7c and C(14 : 0) 2-OH as hydroxylated fatty acid] supported the affiliation of MSSRF26T to the genus Altererythrobacter. Fatty acid data and physiological and biochemical tests allowed phenotypic differentiation of the isolate from described Altererythrobacter species. Strain MSSRF26T therefore represents a novel species, for which the name Altererythrobacter indicus sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain MSSRF26T (=LMG 23789T =DSM 18604T).