Muriicola jejuensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from seawater

An aerobic, yellow-orange-pigmented, Gram-staining-negative bacterium, designated strain EM44^T, was isolated from seawater on the eastern coast of Jeju Island, Korea. Growth was observed at 15-35 °C (optimum 25-30 °C), pH 6.5-9.0 (optimum pH 7.0-8.5) and between 1 and 5% NaCl (w/v) (optimum 2-4 %). Cells of strain EM44^T were non-motile, straight rods and showed catalase and oxidase activities. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 47.9 mol% and the major respiratory quinone was MK-6. The major fatty acids were iso-C_{15 : 0} G, iso-C_{15 : 0}, iso-C_{17 : 0} 3-OH and iso-C_{16 : 0} 3-OH. Strain EM44^T contained phosphatidylethanolamine as a major polar phospholipid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain EM44^T fell within the family Flavobacteriaceae in the phylum Bacteroidetes and was most closely related to members of the genera Eudoraea, Zeaxanthinibacter and Robiginitalea with 92-94.5% gene sequence similarities. On the basis of chemotaxonomic data and molecular properties, it is clear that strain EM44 ^T represents a novel genus within the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Muriicola jejuensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is EM44^T (=KCTC 22299^T=DSM 21206^T).