Frigoriflavimonas asaccharolytica gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel psychrophilic esterase and protease producing bacterium isolated from Antarctica

The rod-shaped and Gram-stain-negative bacterial strain 16F T , isolated from an air sample collected at King George Island, maritime Antarctica, was investigated to determine its taxonomic status. Strain 16F T is strictly aerobic, catalase positive, oxidase positive and non-motile. Strain 16F T hydrolyses casein, lecithin, Tween 20, 60 and 80, but not aesculin, gelatin and starch. Growth of strain 16F T is observed at 0–20 °C (optimum 10 °C), pH 5.0–8.0 (optimum pH 6.0), and in the presence of 0–2.0% NaCl (optimum 0.5%). The predominant menaquinone is MK-6, and the major fatty acids comprise anteiso-C 15:0 and iso-C 15:0 . The major polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, ornithine lipid OL2, unidentified phospholipid PL1 and the unidentified lipids L3 and L6 lacking functional groups. The DNA G + C content based on the draft genome sequence is 32.3 mol%. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicates the highest similarity to Kaistella palustris 3A10 T (95.4%), Kaistella chaponensis Sa 1147-06 T (95.2%), Kaistella antarctica AT1013 T (95.1%), Kaistella carnis NCTC 13525 T (95.1%) and below 95.0% to other species with validly published names. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences places strain 16F T in a distinct branch, indicating a separate lineage within the family Weeksellaceae . Based on the data from our polyphasic approach, 16F T represents a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Frigoriflavimonas asaccharolytica gen. nov, sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 16F T (= CCM 8975 T = CGMCC No.1.16844 T ).