Aerococcus agrisoli sp. nov., isolated from paddy soil

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Environmental Microbiology

Background:

• The genus Aerococcus comprises Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic cocci, often found in diverse environments.
• Accurate taxonomic classification of newly isolated microorganisms is crucial for understanding microbial diversity and ecological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and taxonomically classify a novel bacterial strain, SJQ22^T, isolated from a paddy soil sample.
• To determine if strain SJQ22^T represents a new species within the genus Aerococcus.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and cultivation of strain SJQ22^T from paddy soil.
• Morphological, physiological, and biochemical characterization.
• 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for phylogenetic placement.
• Chemotaxonomic analysis (fatty acid profiling).
• DNA G + C content determination.
• DNA-DNA hybridization for relatedness studies.

Main Results:

• Strain SJQ22^T is a non-spore-forming, Gram-positive, short rod with optimal growth at 30 °C and pH 7.0.
• 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Aerococcus viridans (98.6%) and Aerococcus urinaeequi (98.5%) suggests placement within the Aerococcus genus.
• Low DNA-DNA relatedness (13±2% with A. viridans, 9±2% with A. urinaeequi) and distinct phenotypic characteristics differentiate SJQ22^T from known species.
• Predominant fatty acids were C16:0 and C18:1 ω9c, and DNA G+C content was 39.0 mol%.

Conclusions:

• Strain SJQ22^T represents a distinct genotypic and phenotypic entity.
• The data strongly support the classification of strain SJQ22^T as a novel species within the genus Aerococcus.
• The proposed name for the novel species is Aerococcus agrisoli sp. nov., with SJQ22^T as the type strain.