Thauera phenolivorans sp. nov., a phenol degrading bacterium isolated from activated sludge

A Gram-stain negative, short rod-shaped and non-motile bacterial strain ZV1C^T capable of degrading phenol was isolated from a wastewater treatment system of Huafu mustard tuber salinity preservation factory in Chongqing, China. Aerobic growth was observed at 20-42 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and at pH 5-10 (optimum, pH 8). Cells tolerated NaCl concentrations of 0-2% (w/v) (optimum, 0%). The major respiratory quinone is ubiquinone Q-8 and the major cellular fatty acids are C_{16:1 ω7c} /C_{16:1 ω6c} and C_16:0. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of stain ZV1C^T is phylogenetically related to the 16S rRNA genes of the type strains of Thauera species (similarity: 96.6-97.7%). The genome of strain ZV1C^T was sequenced and the size of the genome is 3.68 Mb. The genomic DNA G+C content is 68.2 mol %. Strain ZV1C^T exhibited whole-genome average nucleotide identity values of 82.3, 81.5 and 80.9% with respect to Thauera phenylacetica B4P^T, Thauera aminoaromatica S2^T and Thauera selenatis AX^T, respectively. Accordingly, the genome-to-genome distances between strain ZV1C^T and the type strains ranged from 21.5 to 31.3%. Based on the results of this study, it is proposed that strain ZV1C^T represents a novel species of the genus Thauera, for which the name Thauera phenolivorans is proposed. The type strain is ZV1C^T (=CGMCC 1.15497 = NCBR 112379).