Flavobacterium faecale sp nov., an agarase-producing species isolated from stools of Antarctic penguins

Abstract

Taxonomic studies were performed on an agarase-producing strain, designated WV33(T), isolated from faeces of Antarctic penguins. Cells of strain WV33(T) were Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, orange and rod-shaped. Strain WV33(T) displayed agarase activity and was able to utilize galactose as a sole carbon source. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain WV33(T) was closely related to Flavobacterium algicola TC2(T) (98.0% similarity), F. frigidarium ATCC 700810(T) (96.9%) and F. frigoris LMG 21922(T) (96.1%). The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C-15:1 G, iso-C-15:0, C-15:0, C-16:0 and summed feature 3 (comprising iso-C-15:0 2-OH and/or C-16:1 omega 7c). Menaquinone 6 (MK-6) was the sole quinone identified, and the major pigment was zeaxanthin. The major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. DNA DNA relatedness of strain WV33(T) with respect to its closest phylogenetic neighbours was 25% for F. algicola NBRC 102673(T), 23% for F. frigidarium DSM 17623(T) and 21% for F. frigoris DSM 15719(T). The DNA G+C content of strain WV33(T) was 37 +/- 0.6 mol%. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain WV33(T) is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium faecale sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WV33(T) (=KCTC 32457(T)=CECT 8384(T)).