Roseomonas deserti sp. nov., isolated from crude oil contaminated desert sand

Two dark pink pigmented bacterial strains (M3^T and M11) were isolated from crude oil contaminated desert sand from Kuwait. Both strains were Gram-stain-negative and small-rod to oval-shaped bacteria. Strains M3^T and M11 grew at 13-42 °C (optimum, 30-35 °C) and pH 6.5-9.0 (optimum, 7.0-7.5). No additional NaCl was required for the growth of both strains. The genomic DNA G+C content of strains M3^T and M11 were 69.5 and 69.0 mol%, respectively. Both strains were closely related and the mean DNA-DNA hybridization value was 92±1 %. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons of both strains indicated that they belong to the genus Roseomonas. Strains M3^T and M11 had a sequence similarity of 97.3 and 97.4 % with Roseomonas oryzae JC288^T, respectively. Both strains had <97 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with other members of the genus Roseomonas. Strain M3^T showed 18±2 and 13±2 % reassociation (based on DNA-DNA hybridization) with R. oryzae KCTC 42542^T and Roseomonas cervicalis KACC 11686^T, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids (>5 %) were identified as C18 : 1ω6c/C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0 in both strains. Both strains showed diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and unidentified glycolipid as major polar lipids. Based on distinct phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic differences from the previously described taxa, we propose the classification of strains M3^T and M11 as representative of a novel species in the genus Roseomonas, for which the name Roseomonas deserti sp. nov. is suggested. The type strain is M3^T (=KEMB 2255-459^T=JCM 31275^T).