Rubritalea squalenifaciens sp. nov., a squalene-producing marine bacterium belonging to subdivision 1 of the phylum ‘Verrucomicrobia’

Abstract

A taxonomic study was carried out to clarify the status of a Gram-negative, heterotrophic mesophile that was isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai. The strain, designated HOact23T, was a non-motile, rod-shaped (0.44–0.53×0.65–0.79 μm) bacterium. The strain produced squalene and a red–pink carotenoid pigment. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, glutamic acid and alanine. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 52.4 mol%. The major fatty acids were iso-C14 : 0 (43.1 %), iso-C16 : 0 (20.6 %) and anteiso-C15 : 0 (18.1 %), and the major isoprenoid quinone was MK-9 (90.8 %). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, the strain formed a distinct group within subdivision 1 in the phylum ‘Verrucomicrobia’. It showed a range of phenotypic properties that distinguished it from its closest relative, Rubritalea marina Pol012T (94.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic evidence, it was concluded that strain HOact23T should be classified within a novel species in the genus Rubritalea. The name proposed for the taxon is Rubritalea squalenifaciens sp. nov., with the type strain HOact23T (=MBIC08254T=DSM 18772T).

Diapolycopenedioic Acid Xylosyl Esters A, B, and C, Novel Antioxidative Glyco-C30-carotenoic Acids Produced by a New Marine Bacterium Rubritalea squalenifaciens

“…Rubritalea squalenifaciens (strain HOact23 T ; MBIC08254 T ) is a rare marine bacterium belonging to subdivision 1 of Verrucomicrobia, a Gramnegative, heterotrophic mesophile, which was isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okdai. Its taxonomic and biochemical characteristics have been reported previously [8]. From this bacterium, we isolated novel acyl glycocarotenoic acids, diapolycopenedioic acid xylosyl esters A, B, and C. In the previous report [9], we announced the isolation and structural determination of the major pigment produced by R. squalenifaciens (corresponding to diapolycopenedioic acid xylosyl ester A in this report).…”

“…Taxonomic analysis of the bacterium was reported previously [8]. The results were summarized as follows.…”

Genomic and Physiological Characterization of the Verrucomicrobia Isolate Diplosphaera colitermitum gen. nov., sp. nov., Reveals Microaerophily and Nitrogen Fixation Genes

“…Taking these findings together with genomic data from the as-yet-unpublished Verrucomicrobium strain DG1235, it is intriguing to consider if verrucomicrobia may exert a greater impact with regard to nitrogen availability in certain ecosystems (host , and hence we represent only strain SolV here). Despite exhaustive searching, the dinitrogenase reductase from "Methylacidiphilum" strain Kam1 was not available through NCBI GenBank, though it is assumed to cluster with those of strains SolV and V4 based on a previous publication (34). Branch points with Ͼ75% support are indicated by filled circles.…”

Marine Drugs from Sponge-Microbe Association—A Review

“…The role of these diverse microbes in sponge biology varies from source of nutrition to mutualistic symbiosis with the sponge [22]. Based on bacterial community studies employing molecular methods such as Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), 16S rRNA gene sequencing and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH), it has been recognized that the sponge-associated bacterial community consists of at least ten bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria, Nitrospira, Cyanobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Poribacteria and Verrucomicrobia besides members of the domain Archaea [1,23–30]. Other symbiotic microbial populations that inhabit sponges are fungi and microalgae.…”