Undibacterium aquatile sp. nov., isolated from a waterfall.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• The genus Undibacterium comprises bacteria isolated from diverse environmental niches.
• Characterization of novel bacterial species is crucial for understanding microbial diversity and ecological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel bacterial strain, THG-DN7.3T, from a waterfall.
• To determine the taxonomic position of strain THG-DN7.3T within the genus Undibacterium through polyphasic analysis.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and cultivation of strain THG-DN7.3T on Reasoner's 2A agar.
• 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for phylogenetic placement.
• DNA-DNA hybridization for genetic relatedness assessment.
• Chemotaxonomic analyses including fatty acid profiling and polar lipid analysis.

Main Results:

• Strain THG-DN7.3T is a Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium.
• Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed highest similarity to Undibacterium jejuense (97.3%).
• DNA-DNA relatedness between strain THG-DN7.3T and U. jejuense KACC 12607T was 40%, supporting its status as a new species.
• Major fatty acids included summed feature 3, C16:0, summed feature 8, and C12:0. Ubiquinone-8 was the predominant isoprenoid quinone.

Conclusions:

• Strain THG-DN7.3T represents a novel species within the genus Undibacterium.
• The proposed name for this new species is Undibacterium aquatile sp. nov.
• The type strain is THG-DN7.3T (=KCTC 42243T =CCTCC AB 2015119T).