Leucobacter aerolatus sp. nov., from the air of a duck barn

A Gram-positive, non-spore-forming actinobacterium (Sj 10(T)) was isolated on tryptone soy agar from the air of a duck barn after filter sampling. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies, strain Sj 10(T) was shown to belong to the genus Leucobacter and was closely related to Leucobacter chromiireducens subsp. chromiireducens L-1(T) (97.8 %), Leucobacter tardus DSM 19811(T) (97.3 %) and Leucobacter luti RF6(T) (97.3 %). The peptidoglycan of strain Sj 10(T) contained 2,4-diaminobutyric acid in combination with a lower amount of lysine as diagnostic diamino acids. In addition, threonine, glycine, alanine and glutamic acid were found. Menaquinone MK-11 was the major respiratory quinone; MK-12 and MK-10 were detected in minor amounts. The polar lipid pattern consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and one unknown component each of a phospholipid, glycolipid and aminoglycolipid. Strain Sj 10(T) contained the major fatty acids anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(16 : 0) and anteiso-C(17 : 0), like other members of the genus Leucobacter. Results of DNA-DNA hybridization, physiological and biochemical tests enabled strain Sj 10(T) to be differentiated genotypically and phenotypically from the most closely related Leucobacter species. Strain Sj 10(T) represents a novel species of the genus Leucobacter, for which the name Leucobacter aerolatus sp. nov. is proposed, with Sj 10(T) (=DSM 22806(T) =CCM 7705(T)) as the type strain.