Hymenobacter cavernae sp. nov., isolated from a karst cave.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Taxonomy

Background:

• The genus Hymenobacter, belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes, comprises Gram-negative bacteria with diverse ecological roles.
• Exploration of unique environments like karst caves can lead to the discovery of novel microbial species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel bacterial strain from a karst cave environment.
• To determine the phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic properties of the novel isolate.
• To formally propose a new species within the Hymenobacter genus.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of bacteria from animal excrement samples from a karst cave.
• Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences.
• Determination of phenotypic characteristics, including growth conditions and pigmentation.
• Chemotaxonomic analysis, including fatty acid composition, isoprenoid quinones, and polar lipids.
• Genomic DNA G+C content determination.

Main Results:

• A novel Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, red-pigmented bacterial strain (K1E01-27^T) was isolated.
• Phylogenetic analysis placed strain K1E01-27^T within the genus Hymenobacter, with 95.1% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Hymenobacter algoricola VUG-A23a^T.
• The strain exhibited specific growth ranges for temperature, pH, and salinity, and its chemotaxonomic profile (fatty acids, quinones, polar lipids) and DNA G+C content (54.9 mol%) were determined.

Conclusions:

• Strain K1E01-27^T represents a novel species of the genus Hymenobacter.
• The proposed name for this new species is Hymenobacter cavernae sp. nov.
• The type strain is K1E01-27^T (=CGMCC 1.15197^T=NBRC 112610^T).