Altererythrobacter litoralis sp. nov., a New Carotenoid-Producing Member of the Family Erythrobacteraceae, Isolated from a Tidal Flat Sediment.

A new isolate designated as 1XM1-14 T was isolated from a tidal flat sediment of Xiamen Island. The yellow-pigmented colonies and rod-shaped cells were observed. Strain 1XM1-14 T could hydrolyze Tweens 20, 40, 60, aesculin, and skim milk, and was chemoheterotrophic and mesophilic, required NaCl for the growth. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis indicated that strain 1XM1-14 T was the most closely related to Altererythrobacter epoxidivorans CGMCC 1.7731 T (97.0%), followed by other type strain of the genus Altererythrobacter with identities below 97.0%. The DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain 1XM1-14 T and its relatives of the genus Altererythrobacter were below the respective thresholds for prokaryotic species demarcation. The phylogenomic inference further revealed that strain 1XM1-14 T formed a separate branch distinct from the type strains of the recognized species within the genus Altererythrobacter. The major cellular fatty acids of strain 1XM1-14 T were identified as summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω6c and/or C 18:1 ω7c), C 17:1 ω6c, and C 16:0 ; the profile of polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified glycolipid, and two unidentified lipids; the respiratory quinone was determined to ubiquinone-10. The genomic size and DNA G+C content of strain 1XM1-14 T were 2.5 Mbp and 62.71%. The key carotenoid biosynthetic genes were determined in the genome of strain 1XM1-14 T and the generated carotenoids were detected. The combined genotypic and phenotypic characteristics supported the classification of strain 1XM1-14 T (= GDMCC 1.2383 T  = KCTC 82612 T ) as a novel species in the genus Altererythrobacter, for which the name Altererythrobacter litoralis sp. nov. is proposed.