Natronococcus pandeyae sp. nov., a Novel Haloarchaeon from Sambhar Salt Lake.

A halophilic archaeon, designated strain LS1_42 T , was isolated from Sambhar Salt Lake, Rajasthan, India. Cells were non-motile, coccoid, Gram-stain-variable and present in irregular clusters with light pink pigmented colonies. The strain was strictly aerobic and able to grow without Mg 2+ . Growth of the strain LS1_42 T was observed at 25-45 °C, pH 7.0-11.0 and NaCl concentrations of 10-35% (w/v). The nearest phylogenetic neighbor of strain LS1_42 T was Natronococcus amylolyticus Ah-36 T based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes with similarity of 95.4% and 91.9%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene, rpoB' gene and whole-genome sequences indicate that the strain LS1_42 T belongs to the genus Natronococcus and is closely related to N. amylolyticus. The genome size was 5.38 Mb with 98.9% completeness. The DNA G + C content of the strain LS1_42 T was 63.0 mol%. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and DNA-DNA hybridization values between LS1_42 T and N. amylolyticus Ah-36 T were 81.3%, 77.7% and 24.8%, respectively. The major polar lipids detected were phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genome-based analysis, strain LS1_42 T represents a novel species within the genus Natronococcus, for which the name Natronococcus pandeyae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LS1_42 T (MCC 3654 T  = JCM 33003 T  = KCTC 4280 T  = CGMCC 1.16738 T ).