Caldanaerobacter uzonensis sp nov., an anaerobic, thermophilic, heterotrophic bacterium isolated from a hot spring

An anaerobic thermophilic bacterium, strain K67(T), was isolated from a terrestrial hot spring of Uzon Caldera, Kamchatka Peninsula. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the novel isolate belongs to the genus Caldanaerobacter, with 95% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Caldanaerobacter subterraneus subsp. subterraneus SEBR 7858(T), suggesting that it represents a novel species of the genus Caldanaerobacter. Strain K67T was characterized as an obligate anaerobe, a thermophile (growth at 50-75 degrees C; optimum 68-70 degrees C), a neutrophile (growth at pH(25) degrees(C) 4.8-8.0; optimum pH(25) degrees(C) 6.8) and an obligate organotroph (growth by fermentation of various sugars, peptides and polysaccharides). Major fermentation products were acetate, H-2 and CO2; ethanol, lactate and L-alanine were formed in smaller amounts. Thiosulfate stimulated growth and was reduced to hydrogen sulfide. Nitrate, sulfate, sulfite and elemental sulfur were not reduced and did not stimulate growth. Thus, according to the strain's phylogenetic position and phenotypic novelties (lower upper limit of temperature range for growth, the ability to grow on arabinose, the inability to reduce elemental sulfur and the formation of alanine as a minor fermentation product), the novel species Caldanaerobacter uzonensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain K67(T) (=DSM 18923(T) =VKM B-2408(T)).