Thiogranum longum gen. nov., sp. nov., an obligately chemolithoautotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing bacterium of the family Ectothiorhodospiraceae isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal field, and an emended description of the genus Thiohalomonas

Abstract

A novel, obligately chemolithoautotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing bacterial strain, designated strain gps52(T), was isolated from a rock sample collected near the hydrothermal vents of the Suiyo Seamount in the Pacific Ocean. The cells possessed a Gram-stain-negative-type cell wall and contained menaquinone-8(H4) and menaquinone-9(H4) as respiratory quinones, and C16 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c as major cellular fatty acids. Neither storage compounds nor extensive internal membranes were observed in the cells. Strain gps52(T) grew using carbon dioxide fixation and oxidation of inorganic sulfur compounds with oxygen as electron acceptor. Optimal growth was observed at 32 °C, pH 6.5 and with 3 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain gps52(T) belongs to the family Ectothiorhodospiraceae and is different from any other known bacteria, with sequence similarities of less than 93 %. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic findings, the isolate is considered to represent a novel genus and species in the family Ectothiorhodospiraceae, and the name Thiogranum longum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is gps52(T) ( = NBRC 101260(T) = DSM 19610(T)). An emended description of the genus Thiohalomonas is also proposed.