Gemmobacter serpentinus sp. nov., isolated from conserved forages.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Genomics

Background:

• A novel bacterium, strain HB-1^T, was isolated from a round hay bale.
• The bacterium is Gram-stain-negative, long-rod-shaped, and facultative aerobic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and classify the novel bacterium HB-1^T.
• To determine if HB-1^T represents a new species within the genus *Gemmobacter*.

Main Methods:

• Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences.
• Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenomic analysis.
• Phenotypic characterization, including growth conditions, biochemical tests, and chemotaxonomic analysis (fatty acids, respiratory quinones).

Main Results:

• Strain HB-1^T showed 96.9-98.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to known *Gemmobacter* species.
• Average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between HB-1^T and related type strains ranged from 77.5 to 78.1%.
• The DNA G+C content was 63.7 mol%, and optimal growth occurred at 10-37°C, pH 5-10, and 0-2% NaCl.

Conclusions:

• Strain HB-1^T represents a novel species of the genus *Gemmobacter*.
• The proposed name for this new species is *Gemmobacter serpentinus* sp. nov.
• The findings contribute to the understanding of bacterial diversity in agricultural environments.