Franconibacter daqui sp. nov., a facultatively alkaliphilic species isolated from a Daqu sample

A novel bacterium, designated strain DL503^T, was isolated from a Daqu sample and its taxonomic position determined using a polyphasic taxonomy. Strain DL503^T was a Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-sporulating, motile and coccoid-rod-shaped bacterium. Optimum growth occurred at 20-45 °C, pH 5.0-10.0 and 1.5 % (w/v) NaCl. Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the isolate belongs to the genus Franconibacter, showing highest levels of similarity with respect to Franconibacter pulveris JCM 16471^T (98.94 %) and Franconibacter helveticus DSM 18396^T (98.39 %). Cells contained the quinones Q-8 and MK-8, and the polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified polar lipids and three unidentified amino lipids. The DNA G+C content was 53.3 mol% and the major fatty acids were C16 : 0, C17 : 0 cyclo, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c), summed feature 4 (C17 : 1 iso I and/or C17 : 1 anteiso B) and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain DL503^T and its close relatives, including F. pulveris JCM 16471^T and F. helveticus DSM 18396^T, were 51.5±0.5 % and 45.2±1.1 %, respectively. Based on phylogenetic analysis, phenotypic and genotypic data, it is concluded that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Franconibacter, for which the name Franconibacter daqui sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DL503^T (=LMG 29914^T=CGMCC 1.15944^T).