Pseudomonas Alcaliphila Sp. Nov., a Novel Facultatively Psychrophilic Alkaliphile Isolated from Seawater

Facultatively psychrophilic alkaliphilic strains were isolated from seawater obtained off the coast of Rumoi, Hokkaido, Japan. They were Gram-negative, aerobic straight rods with polar flagella. The isolates were catalase- and oxidase-positive and able to grow at 4 degrees C, but not at 40 degrees C. They produced acid from D-glucose under aerobic conditions. The isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite and hydrolysed casein and gelatin, but not starch or DNA. NaCl was required for growth at pH 10 but was not required at neutral pH. The major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-9 (Q-9) and the DNA G+C content was 62.3-63.2 mol%. The whole-cell fatty acids mainly consisted of C16:0, C16:1(9c) and C18:1(9c), with 3-OH C10:0 and 3-OH C12:0 as the hydroxyl fatty acids. A larger amount of trans-unsaturated fatty acid, C16:1(9t) was observed when the cells were grown at pH 7 compared to when cells were grown at pH 10. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the bacteria are members of the genus Pseudomonas. Analysis of DNA-DNA relatedness data with several close phylogenetic neighbours revealed a low level of hybridization (less than 61%). On the basis of phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA relatedness data, it is concluded that these isolates represent a separate new species. Accordingly, the name Pseudomonas alcaliphila is proposed. The type strain is AL15-21T (= JCM 10630T = IAM 14884T).