Sphingomonas prati sp. nov., isolated from alpine meadow soil

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Taxonomy

Background:

• The genus Sphingomonas comprises diverse bacteria found in various environments.
• Characterizing novel bacterial species is crucial for understanding microbial ecosystems and their functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel bacterial species from alpine meadow soil.
• To determine the taxonomic and phylogenetic placement of the novel isolate within the Sphingomonas genus.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and cultivation of bacteria from Tibetan alpine meadow soil.
• Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences.
• Polyphasic taxonomic analysis including chemotaxonomic and genotypic characterization (G+C content, DNA-DNA relatedness, fatty acid profiles, polar lipids).

Main Results:

• A novel aerobic, Gram-negative, orange-colored, rod-shaped bacterium, strain W18RDT, was isolated.
• Phylogenetic analysis indicated W18RDT represents a new species within the Sphingomonas genus, closely related to Sphingomonas fennica.
• Genomic and chemotaxonomic data supported the distinctiveness of strain W18RDT, with a G+C content of 66.4 mol% and low DNA-DNA relatedness (21.54±1.2%) to S. fennica.

Conclusions:

• Strain W18RDT represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas.
• The proposed name for this new species is Sphingomonas prati sp. nov.
• The type strain is W18RDT (=CGMCC 1.15645T=DSM 103336T).