Edaphobacillus lindanitolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) contaminated soil

A Gram-staining-positive, aerobic, cocco-bacilli-shaped, non-motile, non-spore forming, cream colored strain bacterium (strain MNA4(T) ) was isolated from hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) contaminated soil. Strain MNA4(T) showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.47% with type species of the newly defined genus Bhargavaea cecembensis. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain MNA4(T) belonged to a clade represented by Bhargavaea cecembensis, Bacillus beijingensis and Bacillus ginsengi. DNA-DNA hybridization values of the strain MNA4(T) with close relatives were well below the 70% threshold value recommended for delineation of species. The major fatty acids were anteiso C15:0 , anteiso C17:0 , iso C16:0 and iso C15:0 . The strain was found to contain respiratory quinones MK-8, MK-9 and MK-7 in an approximate molar ratio of 85:7:5. Polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and two unknown phospholipids. The DNA G + C content was 55.6 mol%. Peptidoglycan type was A4α (L-Lys - L-Ala - D-Asp). Phylogenetic analysis, fatty acids profile, phenotypic properties and chemotaxonomic data of strain MNA4(T) indicated that it represents a novel species of a novel genus for which the name Edaphobacillus lindanitolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is MNA4(T) (=CCM 7584(T)  = DSM 22424(T) ).