Sulfobacillus harzensis sp. nov., an acidophilic bacterium inhabiting mine tailings from a polymetallic mine

A mixotrophic and acidophilic bacterial strain BGR 140^T was isolated from mine tailings in the Harz Mountains near Goslar, Germany. Cells of BGR 140^T were Gram-stain-positive, endospore-forming, motile and rod-shaped. BGR 140^T grew aerobically at 25-55 °C (optimum 45 °C) and at pH 1.5-5.0 (optimum pH 3.0). The results of analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that BGR 140^T was phylogenetically related to different members of the genus Sulfobacillus, and the sequence identities to Sulfobacillus acidophilus DSM 10332^T, Sulfobacillus thermotolerans DSM 17362^T, and Sulfobacillus benefaciens DSM 19468^T were 94.8, 91.8 and 91.6 %, respectively. Its cell wall peptidoglycan is A1γ, composed of meso-diaminopimelic acid. The respiratory quinone is DMK-6. The major polar lipids were determined to be glycolipid, phospholipid and phosphatidylglycerol. The predominant fatty acid is 11-cycloheptanoyl-undecanoate. The genomic DNA G+C content is 58.2 mol%. On the basis of the results of phenotypic and genomic analyses, it is concluded that strain BGR 140^T represents a novel species of the genus Sulfobacillus, for which the name Sulfobacillus harzensis sp. nov. is proposed because of its origin. Its type strain is BGR 140^T (=DSM 109850^T=JCM 39070^T).