Thermovirga lienii gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel moderately thermophilic, anaerobic, amino-acid-degrading bacterium isolated from a North Sea oil well

TLDR

The isolate belongs to the family Syntrophomonadaceae. A novel anaerobic, moderately thermophilic, Gram‑negative, motile rod (strain Cas60314T) isolated from North Sea oil‑well production water grows optimally at 58 °C, 2–3 % NaCl, and pH 6.5–7.0, ferments proteinaceous substrates and certain amino acids but not sugars, reduces cystine and elemental sulfur to sulfide, has a 46.6 mol % G+C genome, and is proposed as the new genus Thermovirga lienii.

Abstract

A novel anaerobic, moderately thermophilic bacterium, strain Cas60314 T , was isolated from hot oil-well production water obtained from an oil reservoir in the North Sea. The cells were Gram-negative, motile, straight rods. The salinity and pH growth optima were 2.0–3.0 % NaCl and 6.5–7.0, respectively. The optimum temperature was 58 °C. Strain Cas60314 T had a fermentative type of metabolism and utilized proteinous substrates, some single amino acids and a limited number of organic acids, but not sugars, fatty acids or alcohols. Cystine and elemental sulfur were reduced to sulfide. The G+C content of the DNA was 46.6 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic features, it is proposed that this isolate represents a novel genus and species with the name Thermovirga lienii gen. nov., sp. nov., sp. within the family Syntrophomonadaceae . The proposed type strain is strain Cas60314 T (=DSM 17291 T =ATTC BAA-1197 T ).