Tersicoccus solisilvae sp., nov., a bacterium isolated from forest soil

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile, coccoid bacterial strain, 36AT, was isolated from Munnar, in India. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, this strain was identified as representing a member of the genus Tersicoccus and was most closely related to the type strain of Tersicoccus phoenicis (98.9 %, sequence similarity), the only other member of the genus, and to members of the related genus Arthrobacter (<96.1 %, sequence similarity). However, the DNA-DNA relatedness of strain 36AT with T. phoenicis DSM 30849T was only 31.9±0.8. The DNA G+C content of strain 36AT was 70.9 mol%. Strain 36AT was an aerobic microbe with optimal growth at 37 °C, pH 6.0-8.0 and NaCl 0.5-3 % (w/v). Cell-wall peptidoglycan of strain 36AT was of type A11.20 (Lys-Ser-Ala2). Polar lipids present were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two phospholipids, a glycolipid and four unknown lipids. The major isoprenoid quinones were MK-9 (H2) and MK-8 (H2). Major fatty acids of strain 36AT were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The results of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and biochemical tests allowed a clear differentiation of strain 36AT, which represents a novel member of the genus Tersicoccus, for which the name Tersicoccus solisilvae sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is 36AT (=KCTC 33776T=CGMCC 1.15480T).