Taxonomic Study of Bacteria Isolated from Plants: Proposal of Sphingomonas rosa sp. nov., Sphingomonas pruni sp. nov., Sphingomonas asaccharolytica sp. nov., and Sphingomonas mali sp. nov.

Abstract

The taxonomic positions of 10 strains of 3-ketolactose-forming bacteria which were isolated from the roots of plants (Rosa sp., Psychotria nairobiensis, Ardisiu crispa, Prunus persica, and apple trees) were investigated. The DNA base compositions of these strains ranged from 64.0 to 65.7 mol%, the isoprenoid quinone of each strain was ubiquinone 10,3-hydroxy fatty acids were lacking in the cellular fatty acids of these organisms, and all of the strains contained a sphingolipid with the long-chain base dihydrosphingosin. These are characteristics of the genus Sphingomonas. On the basis of morphological, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, together with DNA-DNA hybridization and 16s ribosomal DNA sequence comparison data, we propose the following four new species of the genus Sphingomonas: Sphingomonas rosa (type strain, IF0 15208) for the strains isolated from rose plants and formerly named [Agrobacterium rhizogenes] ; Sphingomonas pruni (type strain, IF0 15498) for the strains isolated from Prunus persica; and Sphingomonas asaccharolytica (type strain, IF0 15499) and Sphingomonas mali (type strain, IF0 15500) for the strains isolated from apple trees. Two strains which were isolated from Psychotria nairobiensis and formerly named [Chromobacterium lividurn] were identified as Sphingomonas yanoikuyae strains.

Proposal of Sphingomonadaceae Fam. Nov., Consisting of Sphingomonas Yabuuchi et al. 1990, Erythrobacter Shiba and Shimidu 1982, Erythromicrobium Yurkov et al. 1994, Porphyrobacter Fuerst et al. 1993, Zymomonas Kluyver and van Niel 1936, and Sandaracinobacter Yurkov et al. 1997, with the Type Genus Sphingomonas Yabuuchi et al. 1990

“…They possess ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) as the major respiratory quinone. From literature, we also confirmed that all type strains in Group 4 in the alpha-subclass of Proteohacteria possess ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) as the major respiratory quinone (1,7,8,10,17,18,21,25,26,33,34,(36)(37)(38). …”

“…The GC content of the DNA ranges from 47.5 to 67.0 mol%. Descriptions of each genus and species have been reported previously (1,7,8,10,17,18,21,25,26,33,34,(36)(37)(38). …”

“…The 14 new species are: S. macrogoltabidus Takeuchi et al 1993'; S. sanguis Takeuchi et al 1993' and S. terrae Takeuchi et al 1993' (25); 3-ketolactoseproducing S. rosa Takeuchi et al 1995; S. pruni Takeuchi et al 1995; S. asaccharolytica Takeuchi et al 1995" and S. mali Takeuchi et al 1995" (26); S. chlorophenolica Nohynek et al 1995' (17); S. herbicidovorans Zipper et al 1996' (38); S. subarctica Nohynek et al 1996 (18); S. trueperi Kaempfer et al 1997' (10); an aromatic-degrading species, S. aromaticivorans Balkwill et al 1997 proposed for a strain isolated from a marine cyanobacterial mat (36). A new genus, Porphyrobacter Fuerst et al 1993, with a single type species, P. neustonensis Fuerst et al 1993', was proposed for aerobic bacteriochlorophyll-synthesizing bacteria (7).…”

Brown spot caused by Sphingomonas sp. on yellow Spanish melon fruits in Spain*

“…Furthermore, some species are opportunistically pathogenic to humans, where they can cause meningitis, septicaemia, bacteremia, peritonitis and wound infection (Yabuuchi et al, 1990). Non-phytopathogenic sphingomonads, such as Sphingomonas rosa, S. pruni, S. asaccharolytica and S. mali, were reported to be associated with plants (Takeuchi et al, 1995). In addition, large populations of sphingomonads were found living epiphytically on 26 plant species belonging to 11 families (Kim et al, 1998).…”

“…in PY medium (Takeuchi et al, 1995). Bacterial DNA extraction, PCR with repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) primers and DNA separation were carried out according to the procedures described by Rademaker & de Bruijn (1997).…”