Agarilytica rhodophyticola gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from Gracilaria blodgettii

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, aerobic, agarolytic bacterium, designated 017T, was isolated from Gracilaria blodgettii collected at the coast of Lingshui county, Hainan province, China. Optimal growth occurred at 28–33 °C (range 15–40 °C), with 3 % (w/v) NaCl (range 2–4 %) and at pH 8.0 (range pH 6.5–8.5). Cells of strain 017T were motile and formed yellow colonies on marine agar 2216. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 017T shared the highest similarity with Teredinibacter turnerae T7902T (94.4 %). The predominant polar lipids of the novel isolate consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid and some other unknown lipids. Major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), and the sole respiratory lipoquinone was Q-8. The DNA G+C content of strain 017T was 40.2 mol%. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and phenotypic characterization indicated that strain 017T represents a novel species in a new genus of the family Cellvibrionaceae , order Cellvibrionales , for which the name Agarilytica rhodophyticola gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Agarilytica rhodophyticola is 017T (=KCTC 42584T=MCCC 1H00123T).