Description of Alcanivorax venustensis sp. nov. and reclassification of Fundibacter jadensis DSM 12178T (Bruns and Berthe-Corti 1999) as Alcanivorax jadensis comb. nov., members of the emended genus Alcanivorax

Abstract

Two strains of a novel bacterium were isolated independently of each other, from different depths in the Mediterranean Sea, within a time period of 7 months, using two different isolation approaches that were focused on different objectives. Both strains, designated ISO1 and ISO4T, were halophilic, Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, straight rods that were oxidase- and catalase-positive. Both strains produced mucoid colonies in some defined minimal media and were able to grow with organic acids and some alkanes; they were also able to accumulate intracellular poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate granules. The G + C content of the DNA of strain ISO4T was 66 mol%. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the closest described species to the novel strains were Alcanivorax borkumensis and Fundibacter jadensis, both of the gamma-Proteobacteria. Both of these recognized species were originally isolated from North Sea waters and are able to degrade aliphatic compounds, a property shared with strains ISO1 and ISO4T. However, strains ISO1 and ISO4T were different from A. borkumensis and F. jadensis, not only in their 16S rDNA sequences but also in the motility of their cells (by polar flagella) and by the presence of C19:Ocyclo in their cellular fatty acids, among other differential features. On the basis of biochemical and molecular data, it is suggested that strains ISO1 and ISO4T be recognized as a novel species of the genus Alcanivorax, for which the name Alcanivorax venustensis (ISO4T =DSM 13974T =CECT 5388T) is proposed. On the basis of its high phenotypic similarity and close phylogenetic relatedness to A. borkumensis, it is also proposed that F. jadensis (DSM 12178T) be reclassified as Alcanivorax jadensis in the genus Alcanivorax, and that the description of the genus Alcanivorax be emended.

Structural Determination and Proposed Biosynthesis of Alcanivorone, a Novel α-Pyrone Produced by Alcanivorax jadensis

“…The signal intensities of C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, 6-CH 3 , C-2Ј 2Ј-CH 3 , and C-3Ј were higher than those of the non-labeled compound, and 13 C-13 C coupling of C-3-C-4 (J CC ϭ70 Hz), C-5-C-3Ј (J CC ϭ63 Hz), C-6-6-CH 3 (J CC ϭ54 Hz), and C-2Ј-2Ј-CH 3 (J CC ϭ44 Hz) was observed (Table 1). These results indicated that 6-CH 3 and 2Ј-CH 3 were also from pyruvate, and the incorporation pattern of [2,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] C 2 ] pyruvate into 1 is shown in Fig. 2B, supporting the proposed biosynthesis of 1.…”

“…These strains have been shown to be important for the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a marine environment, especially under bioremediation conditions [4]. During a series of investigations of new metabolites from marine microorganisms [5,6], we found a novel a -pyrone, alcanivorone (1), from the culture broth of A. jadensis (former name: Fundibacter jadensis [7]). We describe in this paper the production, structural determination, incorporation experiments with stable isotope-labeled sodium pyruvate, and a proposed biogenesis of 1 based on the incorporation experiments.…”

Obligate oil-degrading marine bacteria

“…The genera Alcanivorax and Cycloclasticus include both OHCB, like A. borkumensis, A. jadensis [8,9], A.…”

“…dieselolei [10], C. pugetii [11], and C. oligotrophus [12], and more nutritionally versatile species with less restricted substrate profiles, like A. venustensis and C. spirillensus [9,13]. The three other genera of the OHCB group, despite being represented by numerous members, are monophyletic and represented by the three type species Oleiphilus messinensis [14], Oleispira antarctica [15] and Thalassolituus oleivorans [16].…”

Alcanivorax nanhaiticus sp. nov., isolated from deep sea sediment

“…The G+C content of the DNA of the type strain is 56.44 mol%. (Fernandez-Martínez et al, 2003); 3, A. hongdengensis A-11-3 T (Wu et al, 2009); 4, A. borkumensis SK2 T (Yakimov et al, 1998). Data for catalase, oxidase, API 20NE and API ZYM for the three reference type strains were obtained from our previous study (Lai et al, 2011).…”