Garicola koreensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from saeu-jeot, traditional Korean fermented shrimp

A novel Gram-staining-positive, non-endospore-forming, aerobic bacterium, designated strain SJ5-4(T), was isolated from seau-jeot, a traditional food that is made by fermentation of highly salted [approximately 25 % (w/v)] shrimp in Korea. Cells were moderately halophilic, non-motile cocci or short rods that showed catalase- and oxidase-positive reactions. Growth of strain SJ5-4(T) was observed at 15-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, pH 6.5-7.0) and in the presence of 1-17 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 6 %). The major cellular fatty acids of strain SJ5-4(T) were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 0. Phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, an unidentified phospholipid, three glycolipids and an unidentified lipid were detected as the polar lipids. Strain SJ5-4(T) belonged to the exceptionally small group of strains within the order Micrococcales that show a peptidoglycan cross-linked according to the A-type but containing 2,4-diaminobutyric acid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 61.8 mol%. MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9 were detected as the isoprenoid quinones. Strain SJ5-4(T) was most closely related to members of the genus Nesterenkonia, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 93.1-94.8 %. However, phylogenetic inference based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain SJ5-4(T) formed a phyletic lineage distinct from members of the genus Nesterenkonia within the family Micrococcaceae. On the basis of its phenotypic and molecular features, strain SJ5-4(T) represents a novel genus and species of the family Micrococcaceae, for which the name Garicola koreensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Garicola koreensis is SJ5-4(T) ( = KACC 16909(T) = JCM 18572(T) = DSM 28238(T)).