Rhodocaloribacter litoris gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from an intertidal hot spring

Red-pigmented strains of non-sporeforming, aerobic, chemoorganotrophic bacteria were isolated from intertidal hot springs in Laugarvík, NW-Iceland. Cells stained Gram-negative and formed pleomorphic rods that often had swollen ends and occurred singly or in filaments. Growth was observed at 40-65 °C (optimum at 60 °C), pH 6-9 (optimum at 6.5-8) and 0.5-5% (optimum at 1-2%) (w/v) NaCl. Strain ISCAR-4553^T contained MK-7 as the main respiratory quinone and saturated iso and anteiso branched chains of 17 and 15 carbons as the main cellular fatty acids (83.4%). The G+C content of the DNA is 67.3 mol%. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity was with the genus Roseithermus (92.0%) and followed by Rhodothermus, Rubrivirga and Rubricoccus (88-90%). Genome and phenotype comparisons supported the affiliation of the novel isolates and the genus Roseithermus to the family Rhodothermaceae of the phylum Rhodothermaeota. The described isolates are proposed to be classified as representatives of a novel species belonging to a novel genus, with the name Rhodocaloribacter litoris gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain is ISCAR-4553^T (=DSM 110790^T = ATCC TSD-179^T).