Haloarcula amylolytica sp nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon isolated from Albi salt lake in Xin-Jiang, China

A starch-hydrolysing and extremely halophilic archaeon (strain BD-3(T)), isolated from Aibi salt lake in Xin-Jiang, China, was characterized phenotypically and genotypically in order to determine its taxonomic status. On the basis of its polar lipid composition, nucleotide sequences of its 16S rRNA genes, genomic DNA G + C content (62.4 mol%) and growth characteristics, the organism could be assigned to the genus Haloarcula. Phenotypic differences and low DNA-DNA hybridization values to related Haloarcula species distinguished strain BD-3(T) from recognized Haloarcula species. It is therefore concluded that strain BD-3(T) represents a novel species, for which the name Haloarcula amylolytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BID-3(T) (= CGMCC 1.5335(T) = JCM 13557(T)).