Melitea salexigens gen. nov., sp nov., a gammaproteobacterium from the Mediterranean Sea

A novel aerobic, Gram-negative bacterial strain, designated 5IX/A01/131T, was isolated from waters in the coastal north-western Mediterranean Sea. The cells were motile, straight rods, 1.6 μm long and 0.5 μm wide, and formed cream colonies on marine 2216 agar. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 57 mol %. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence placed the strain in the class Gammaproteobacteria. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons and physiological and biochemical characteristics, strain 5IX/A01/131T represents a novel genus and species, for which the name Melitea salexigens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Melitea salexigens is 5IX/A01/131T (=DSM 19753T =CIP 109757T =MOLA 225T).