Corynebacterium nuruki sp nov., isolated from an alcohol fermentation starter

A novel Gram-positive, strictly aerobic and non-motile bacterial strain, S6-4(T), was isolated from a Korean alcohol fermentation starter. Optimal growth occurred at 37 degrees C, at pH 8 and in 1% (w/v) NaCl. The isolate was positive for oxidase and catalase. It assimilated various sugars and acids were produced from several carbohydrates. The major cell-wall sugars were galactose and arabinose. The major fatty acids of strain S6-4(T) were C-16:0, C-17:1 omega 9c, C-18:1 omega 9c and 10-methyl C-18:0 (tuberculostearic acid). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone MK-9(H-2) and peptidoglycan amino acids were meso-diaminopimelic acid, alanine, glycine and glutamic acid. The strain contained mycolic acids. According to phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain S6-4(T) was most closely related to Corynebacterium variabile DSM 20132(T) (98.1% similarity). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain S6-4(T) was 73.6 mol% and DNA DNA hybridization values with related strains were below 33 +/- 4%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain S6-4(T) represents a novel species in the genus Corynebacterium, for which the name Corynebacterium nuruki sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is S6-4(T) (=KACC 15032(T) =JCM 17162(T)).