Natronococcus pandeyae sp. nov., a Novel Haloarchaeon from Sambhar Salt Lake

A halophilic archaeon, designated strain LS1_42^T, was isolated from Sambhar Salt Lake, Rajasthan, India. Cells were non-motile, coccoid, Gram-stain-variable and present in irregular clusters with light pink pigmented colonies. The strain was strictly aerobic and able to grow without Mg²⁺. Growth of the strain LS1_42^T was observed at 25-45 °C, pH 7.0-11.0 and NaCl concentrations of 10-35% (w/v). The nearest phylogenetic neighbor of strain LS1_42^T was Natronococcus amylolyticus Ah-36^T based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes with similarity of 95.4% and 91.9%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene, rpoB' gene and whole-genome sequences indicate that the strain LS1_42^T belongs to the genus Natronococcus and is closely related to N. amylolyticus. The genome size was 5.38 Mb with 98.9% completeness. The DNA G + C content of the strain LS1_42^T was 63.0 mol%. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and DNA-DNA hybridization values between LS1_42^T and N. amylolyticus Ah-36^T were 81.3%, 77.7% and 24.8%, respectively. The major polar lipids detected were phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genome-based analysis, strain LS1_42^T represents a novel species within the genus Natronococcus, for which the name Natronococcus pandeyae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LS1_42^T (MCC 3654^T = JCM 33003^T = KCTC 4280^T = CGMCC 1.16738^T).