Amylibacter ulvae sp. nov., a new alphaproteobacterium isolated from the Pacific green alga Ulva fenestrata

A strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and non-motile bacterium, designated strain 6Alg 255(T), was isolated from the green alga Ulva fenestrata. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the novel strain affiliated to the family Rhodobacteraceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria being most closely related to Amylibacter marinus LMG 28364(T) with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.2 %. Strain 6Alg 255(T) grew with 0.5-6.0 % NaCl and at 4-33 °C, hydrolysed aesculin, casein, gelatin and urea. The DNA G + C content was 50.4 mol%. The prevalent fatty acids were C18:1 ω7c and C16:0. The polar lipid profile was characterized by the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and unidentified aminolipid. The major respiratory quinone was Q-10. The significant molecular distinctiveness between the novel isolate and its nearest neighbour was strongly supported by the differences in physiological and biochemical tests. Therefore, strain 6Alg 255(T) represents a novel species of the genus Amylibacter, for which the name Amylibacter ulvae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 6Alg 255(T) (=KCTC 32465(T) = KMM 6515(T)).