Ensifer collicola sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from soil in South Korea

Strain Mol12^T, which presented in the form of Gram-negative, motile, non-spore forming rod-shaped, was isolated from soil in South Korea and characterized to determine its taxonomic position. The strain grew at 20-30°C (optimum 30°C) and pH 7.0-10.0 (optimum pH 8.0) with 1% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain Mol12^T was most closely related to Ensifer terangae LMG 7834^T (96.78%), Rhizobium daejeonense KCTC 12121^T (96.43%), Ensifer adhaerens Casida A^T (96.28%). Chemotaxonomic data showed that the predominant fatty acids were Summed Feature 8 (C_18:1 ω7c and/or C_18:1 ω6c; 53.02%) and C_18:1 ω7c 11-methyl (24.01%). Its complex polar lipid contained major amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone. The DNA G+C content of strain Mol12^T was determined to be 60.9 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic, and phenotypic data, strain Mol12^T (=KCTC 42816^T =JCM 31049^T) ought to be classified as a type strain of a novel species, for which the name Ensifer collicola sp. nov. is proposed.