Flavobacterium verecundum sp nov., isolated from a freshwater river

Strain TTM-46(T), isolated from a water sample taken from the Caohu River in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of TTM-46(T) were Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding, rod-shaped, surrounded by a thick capsule and formedyellowish-green colored colonies. Growth occurred at 20-30 degrees C (optimum, 30 degrees C), at pH 6-8 (optimum, pH 7) and with 0-0.3% NaCl (optimum, 0% w/v). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16 S rRNA gene sequences showed that TTM-46(T) represented a member of the genus Flavobacterium and was most closely related to Flavobacterium columnare IFO 15943(T) and Flavobacterium brevivitae TTM-43(T) with a sequence similarity of 96.9% for both. TTM-46(T) contained iso-C-15 : 0, summed feature 9 (iso-C-17 : 1 omega 9c and/or 10-methyl C-16 : 0), iso-C-17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C-15 : 1 G, iso-C-15 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C-16 : 1 omega 6c and/or C-16 : 1 omega 7c) as the predominant fatty acids. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, four uncharacterized aminophospholipids and five uncharacterized phospholipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The genomic DNA G+C content of TTM-46(T) was 39 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, TTM-46(T) was recognized as a representative of a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium. The name Flavobacterium verecundum sp. nov. is proposed, with TTM46(T) (= BCRC 80914(T) = LMG 29005(T) = KCTC 42745(T)) as the type strain.