Microvirga terrae sp. nov., Isolated from Soil

A Gram-stain-negative and strictly aerobic bacterium, strain R24(T), was isolated from soil in South Korea. Cells were non-motile short rods showing catalase- and oxidase-positive activities. Growth was observed at 15-40 & DEG;C (optimum, 25-30 & DEG;C) and pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, 8.0-9.0), and in the presence of 0-3.0% NaCl (optimum, 0%). Strain R24(T) contained ubiquinone-10 as the sole respiratory quinone, C-16:0, C-18:0, and summed feature 8 (comprising C-18:1 omega 7c and/or C-18:1 omega 6c) as the major fatty acids, and phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylcholine as the major polar lipids. The DNA G+C content calculated from the whole genome sequence was 64.4%. Strain R24(T) was most closely related to Microvirga aerilata 5420S-16(T) with a 98.6% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain R24(T) and all Microvirga species were less than 82.5 and 23.8%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and whole genome sequences revealed that strain R24(T) formed a phyletic lineage within the genus Microvirga. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and molecular characteristics, strain R24(T) represents a novel species of the genus Microvirga, for which the name Microvirga terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R24(T) (= KACC 21784(T) = JCM 34259(T)).