Sphingomicrobium astaxanthinifaciens sp. nov., an astaxanthin-producing glycolipid-rich bacterium isolated from surface seawater and emended description of the genus Sphingomicrobium Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, TaiwanA Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, flagellated and non-spore-forming marine bacterium designated strain CC-AMO-30B T was isolated from coastal surface seawater, Taiwan.Strain CC-AMO-30B T synthesized astaxanthin [40 mg (g dry weight)"1

A taxonomic study was carried out on a novel aerobic bacterial strain (designated CC-LY736(T)) isolated from a fermentor in Taiwan. Cells of strain CC-LY736(T) were Gram-stain negative, spiral-shaped and motile by means of a monopolar flagellum. Strain CC-LY736(T) shared the greatest degree of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Azospirillum irakense DSM 11586(T) (97.2 %), Rhodocista centenaria JCM 21060(T) (96.3 %) and Rhodocista pekingensis JCM 11669(T) (96.1 %). The major fatty acids were C16:0, C16:1 ω5c, C19:0 cyclo ω8c, C18:1 ω7c/C18:1 ω6c, C16:0 3-OH and C18:1 2-OH. The predominant polar lipids included phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine and two unidentified glycolipids. The common major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10 and predominant polyamines were sym-homospermidine and putrescine. The DNA G+C content of strain CC-LY736(T) was 67.6 ± 0.1 mol %. During phylogenetic analysis, strain CC-LY736(T) formed a unique phyletic lineage associated with Rhodocista species. However, the combination of genetic, chemotaxonomic and physiological data clearly indicated that strain CC-LY736(T) was a novel representative of the family Rhodospirillaceae. Based on the polyphasic comparison, the name Niveispirillum fermenti gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain of the type species is CC-LY736(T) (= BCRC 80504(T) = LMG 27263(T)). In addition, the reclassifications of Azospirillum irakense as Niveispirillum irakense comb. nov. (type strain KBC1(T) = ATCC 51182(T) = BCRC 15764(T) = CIP 103311(T)), and Azospirillum amazonense as Nitrospirillum amazonense gen. nov., sp. nov. (type strain Am14(T) = ATCC 35119(T) = BCRC 14279(T) = DSM 3787(T)) are proposed based on the polyphasic taxonomic data obtained in this study.

A Gram-stain negative, strictly aerobic, zeaxanthin-producing, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterial strain which is motile by gliding, designated CC-AMWZ-3(T), was isolated from surface seawater off coastal Kending, Taiwan. Strain CC-AMWZ-3(T) was found to share 93.3 % and 96.0-92.4 % pairwise 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Gramella echinicola KMM 6050(T) and other Gramella species, respectively, and formed distinct phyletic lineage during phylogenetic analysis. The major fatty acids were identified as C16:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c and iso-C17:1 ω9c and/or C16:0 10-methyl. Polar lipids were found to include phosphatidylethanolamine, six unidentified lipids and three unidentified aminolipids. The DNA G+C content was determined to be 40.6 mol%. Menaquinone-6 was the sole respiratory quinone identified and triamine-sym-homospermidine was the predominant polyamine. Based on the polyphasic characteristics that are in line with those of Gramella species, in addition to distinguishing phylogenetic and phenotypic features, strain CC-AMWZ-3(T) appears to represent a novel species of the genus Gramella, for which the name Gramella planctonica sp. nov. (type strain CC-AMWZ-3(T) = JCM 18807(T) = BCRC 80553(T)) is proposed. In addition, emended descriptions of the species Gramella aestuarii and Gramella echinicola are also proposed.

Kordia aquimaris sp. nov., a zeaxanthin-producing member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from surface seawater, and emended description of the genus Kordia lineage tightly associated with species of the genus Kordia. The polar lipid profile of strain CC-AMZ-301 T consisted of three unidentified lipids, three unidentified aminolipids and one unidentified phospholipid. The major fatty acids (.5 % of total) were iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C 15 : 0 , summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 v7c and/or C 16 : 1 v6c) and summed feature 9 (iso-C 17 : 1 v9c and/or 10-methyl C 16 : 0 ). The DNA G+C content was 36.4 mol%. Menaquinone 6 (MK-6) was the predominant respiratory quinone. The major polyamine was the triamine sym-homospermidine. Based on evidence from the present polyphasic study, strain CC-AMZ-301 T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Kordia, for which the name Kordia aquimaris sp. et al., 2013). The members of the genus Kordia are characterized as having a Gram-negative reaction and yellow pigmentation, lacking motility and flexirubin-type pigments, a strictly aerobic or facultatively anaerobic metabolism, rod-shaped cell morphology and possessing menaquinone 6 (MK-6) as the major respiratory quinone.In the present study, a zeaxanthin-producing, gliding bacterial strain isolated from coastal surface seawater, designated CC-AMZ-301 T , which appears to be closely related to the genus Kordia, was investigated by a polyphasic approach.During an exploration of carotenoid-producing marine bacterial isolates inhabiting oceanic surface water, strain CC-AMZ-301T was isolated from a seawater sample collected near Taichung harbour, Taiwan (24.307512 u N 120.518572u E) on 26 May 2012. The water sample was subjected to a standard dilution-to-extinction plating method using marine agar 2216 (MA; BD Difco) and incubation at 30 u C for 48-96 h. Strain CC-AMZ-301 T , appearing as a yellow-pigmented colony, was isolated, purified and preserved in marine broth (MB) supplemented with 20 % (v/v) glycerol at 280 u C. Taxonomic investigations were carried out according to published guidelines and minimal standards (Tindall et al., 2010;Bernardet et al., 2002). Established type strains of the genusThe GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain CC-AMZ-301 T is JX235671.A supplementary table and a supplementary figure are available with the online version of this paper.

A Gram-staining-negative, yellow-pigmented, strictly aerobic, zeaxanthin-producing, rod-shaped, non-endospore-forming, appendaged bacterial strain that exhibits gliding motility, designated CC-AMSZ-T T , was isolated from marine sediment off coastal Kending, Taiwan. Strain CC-AMSZ-T T shared 94.9 % and 96.7-94.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Gramella echinicola KMM 6050 T and other species of the genus Gramella, respectively, and formed a distinct phyletic lineage in phylogenetic trees. The major (¢5 % of the total) fatty acids were C 16 : 0 , iso-C 15 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 0 , C 16 : 1 v6c and/or C 16 : 1 v7c and iso-C 17 : 1 v9c and/or C 16 : 0 10-methyl. Phosphatidylethanolamine, six unidentified lipids and three unidentified aminolipids were the polar lipid components. The DNA G+C content was 38.6 mol%. The predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6 (MK-6). Based on the phylogenetic distinctiveness and distinguishing phenotypic characteristics, strain CC-AMSZ-T T represents a novel species of the genus Gramella, for which the name Gramella oceani sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-AMSZ-T T (5JCM 18809 T 5BCRC 80547 T ).

A Gram-stain negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, motile cellulolytic bacterium, designated strain CC-AMH-0(T), was isolated from surface seashore water of Hualien, Taiwan and subjected to polyphasic taxonomy. Strain CC-AMH-0(T) exhibited enzymatic saccharification of cellulose and active growth particularly during log-phase under nutrient-limited conditions, whereas enhanced saccharification was found in the declining growth phase under copiotrophic conditions. The novel strain shared high pairwise 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Mesorhizobium loti USDA 3471(T) (96.2 %), Phyllobacterium myrsinacearum IAM 13584(T) (95.9 %), Hoeflea marina LMG 128(T) (94.0 %) and other Phyllobacteriaceae members. However, phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA, atpD and recA gene sequences clearly distinguished strain CC-AMH-0(T) from other representatives of related genera. In addition, strain CC-AMH-0(T) was distinguished from the above mentioned species by significantly lacking phosphatidylcholine besides accommodating major amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol; moderate amounts of phosphatidylethanolamine and trace amounts of an unidentified phospholipid, an unidentified aminolipid and an unidentified phosphoglycolipid. Strain CC-AMH-0(T) possessed C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c (summed feature 8) as predominant fatty acids, 63.3 mol% DNA G+C content and ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) as the sole respiratory quinone. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic evidences, strain CC-AMH-0(T) is proposed to represent a novel genus and species of the family Phyllobacteriaceae, for which the name Oricola cellulosilytica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is CC-AMH-0(T) (=JCM 19534(T) =BCRC 80694(T)). Emended descriptions of M. loti and P. myrsinacearum are also proposed.

A strictly aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium (strain CC-SAMT-1(T)) showing gliding motility was isolated from coastal seawater of China Sea, Taiwan. Strain CC-SAMT-1(T) synthesizes all-trans-zeaxanthin (6.5 ± 0.5 mg g(-1) dry biomass) as a predominant xanthophyll carotenoid. As determined by 16S rRNA gene analysis, strain CC-SAMT-1(T) shared very high sequence similarity to the members of the genera Mariniflexile (96.1-95.3%) and Gaetbulibacter (96.0-95.9%); however, it formed a distinct phyletic lineage distantly associated with Mariniflexile species. Polar lipid profile constitutes phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, four unidentified lipids, and an unidentified glycolipid. Strain CC-SAMT-1(T) contains excessive unidentified aminolipid lipid (AL2-4) and glycolipid contents, and therefore clearly distinct from Mariniflexile species. Major fatty acids (> 5% of total fatty acids) were iso-C(15:0) (14.8%), iso-C(17:0) 3-OH (11.8%), iso-C(15:1) G (10.6%), anteiso-C(15:0) (9.7%), C(16:0) (8.1%), iso-C(16:0) 3-OH (7.9%), iso-C(15:0) 3-OH (7.5%), and summed feature 3 (containing C(16:1) ω6c and/or C(16:1) ω7c) (7.5%). Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was major respiratory quinone. DNA G+C content was 33.7 mol%. Based on polyphasic taxonomy, strain CC-SAMT-1(T) represents a novel genus and species in the family Flavobacteriaceae for which the name Siansivirga zeaxanthinifaciens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-SAMT-1(T) (= BCRC 80315(T) = JCM 17682(T)).

Aquibacter zeaxanthinifaciens gen. nov., sp. nov., a zeaxanthin-producing bacterium of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from surface seawater, and emended descriptions of the genera Aestuariibaculum and Gaetbulibacter A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-flagellated, non-spore-forming and gliding marine bacterium, designated strain CC-AMZ-304 T , was isolated from coastal surface seawater near Taichung harbour, Taiwan. Strain CC-AMZ-304 T predominantly synthesized zeaxanthin and thus formed yellow colonies on marine agar. The novel strain showed an unstable phylogenetic position, although sharing high pairwise 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 95.9-94.9, 95.7 and 95.1-93.9 % with Gaetbulibacter species (n54), Aestuariibaculum suncheonense SC17 T and Bizionia species (n57), respectively. The polar lipid profile of strain CC-AMZ-304 T consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, five unidentified lipids, one unidentified phospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids and one unidentified glycolipid. The major (.5 % of the total) fatty acids were iso-C 15 : 0 , iso-C 15 : 1 G, iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C 15 : 0 3-OH and C 15 : 1 v5c. The DNA G+C content was 36.0 mol%. Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was the sole respiratory quinone and the major polyamine was triamine sym-homospermidine. Phylogenetic distinctiveness, unique polar lipid composition, presence of significant amounts of branched hydroxyl fatty acids (iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C 15 : 0 3-OH) and a low amount of anteiso-C 15 : 0 , and several additional distinguishing biochemical features clearly discriminated strain CC-AMZ-304 T from the type species of the genera Aestuariibaculum and Gaetbulibacter. Thus, based on data from the present polyphasic study, strain CC-AMZ-304 T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Aquibacter zeaxanthinifaciens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain of Aquibacter zeaxanthinifaciens is CC-AMZ-304 T (5JCM 18557 T 5BCRC 80463 T ). Emended descriptions of the genera Aestuariibaculum andGaetbulibacter are also proposed.