Georgenia halotolerans sp. nov., a halotolerant actinobacterium isolated from Taklamakan desert soil

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped actinobacterium, designated strain 10Sc9-8^T, was isolated from Taklamakan desert soil sampled in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Strain 10Sc9-8^T grew at 8‒37 °C (optimum, 28‒30 °C), pH 6.0‒10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and in the presence of 0‒15 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-3 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence suggested that strain 10Sc9-8^T was affiliated with members of the genus Georgenia and showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Georgenia yuyongxinii Z443^T (97.4 %). Phylogenomic analysis based on the whole genome sequences indicated that strain 10Sc9-8^T should be assigned into the genus Georgenia. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values calculated from the whole genome sequences indicated that strain 10Sc9-8^T was clearly separated from other closely related species of the genus Georgenia with values below the thresholds for species delineation. Chemotaxonomic analyses showed that the cell-wall peptidoglycan was in a variant of A4α type with an interpeptide bridge comprising l-Lys-l-Ala-Gly-l-Asp. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8(H₄). The polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, several unidentified phospholipids, glycolipids and one unidentified lipid. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C_15 : 0, anteiso-C_15 : 1 A and C_16 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was 72.7 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and phylogenomic data, strain 10Sc9-8^T represents a novel species of the genus Georgenia, for which the name Georgenia halotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 10Sc9-8^T (=JCM 33946^T=CPCC 206219^T).