Gluconobacter nephelii sp. nov., an acetic acid bacterium in the class Alphaproteobacteria

Three strains, RBY-1T, PHD-1 and PHD-2, were isolated from fruits in Thailand. The strains were Gram-negative, aerobic rods with polar flagella, produced acetic acid from ethanol and did not oxidize acetate or lactate. In phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and 16S–23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, the strains formed a cluster separate from the type strains of recognized species of the genus Gluconobacter. The calculated 16S rRNA gene sequence and 16S–23S rRNA gene ITS sequence similarities were respectively 97.7–99.7 % and 77.3–98.1 %. DNA G+C contents ranged from 57.2 to 57.6 mol%. The strains showed high DNA–DNA relatedness of 100 % to one another, but low DNA–DNA relatedness of 11–34 % to the tested type strains of recognized Gluconobacter species. Q-10 was the major quinone. On the basis of the genotypic and phenotypic data obtained, the three strains clearly represent a novel species, for which the name Gluconobacter nephelii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RBY-1T ( = BCC 36733T = NBRC 106061T = PCU 318T), whose DNA G+C content is 57.2 mol%.