Sphingobacterium kitahiroshimense sp. nov., isolated from soil

Abstract

A novel exopolysaccharide-degrading bacterium, designated strain 10C^T, was isolated from soil from Kitahiroshima city, Hokkaido, Japan. The novel isolate was Gram-negative, strictly aerobic and chemoheterotrophic. The DNA G+C content was 36.9 mol%. Major fatty acids were C_16 : 1ω7c, iso-C_15 : 0 2-OH, iso-C_15 : 0 and iso-C_17 : 0 3-OH. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and chemotaxonomic and morphological data indicated that the novel strain clearly belonged to the genus Sphingobacterium. Based on phenotypic properties and DNA–DNA hybridization data, the new isolate was assigned to the genus Sphingobacterium as Sphingobacterium kitahiroshimense sp. nov. The type strain is 10C^T (=JCM 14970^T=NCIMB 14398^T).