Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans sp. nov., a novel alkaliphile exhibiting high catalase activity

A novel alkaliphile was isolated from a drain of a fish processing plant. The isolate grew at a pH range of 7-10. Cells were Gram-positive, facultatively aerobic, motile rods with peritrichous flagella. Colonies were orange or yellow in colour. Catalase and oxidase reactions were positive. The isolate grew in 0-12 % NaCl but not above 15 % NaCl. Its cell extract exhibited 567 times higher catalase activity than an Escherichia coli cell extract. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C(13 : 0), anteiso-C(13 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(16 : 0), iso-C(17 : 0), anteiso-C(17 : 0) and iso-C(17 : 1). Its DNA G+C content was 46.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and chemotaxonomic data indicated that strain T-2-2(T) is a member of the genus Exiguobacterium. DNA-DNA hybridization revealed a low relatedness of the isolate to several phylogenetic neighbours (less than 25 %). On the basis of phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic data and DNA-DNA relatedness data, the isolate merits classification as a novel species, for which the name Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is T-2-2(T) (=JCM 12280(T)=NCIMB 13980(T)).