Bacillus swezeyi sp. nov. and Bacillus haynesii sp. nov., isolated from desert soil

Two isolates of Gram-reaction-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile, rod-shaped, endospore-forming bacteria were identified during a survey of the diversity of strains belonging to the genus Bacillus deposited in the Agriculture Research Service Culture Collection. These strains were originally isolated from soil in Evolution Canyon III (Israel) in a survey of ecological diversification. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of strains NRRL B-41294T and NRRL B-41327T determined they were closely related to members of the Bacillus licheniformis clade. The genome of each strain was sequenced, and further analysis indicated that the strains represented unique species based on in silico DNA-DNA hybridization analyses. A phylogenomic analysis revealed that NRRL B-41294T and NRRL B-41327T were closely related to the group that includes B. licheniformis. In phenotypic characterization, both NRRL B-41294T and NRRL B-41327T were found to grow at temperatures of between 15 and 60 °C and tolerated up to 12 % NaCl (w/v). The predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0, and peptidoglycan from cell walls contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The DNA G+C content was 45.7 and 44.3 mol% for NRRL B-41327T and NRRL B-41294T, respectively. Furthermore, each strain had a unique carbon utilization pattern that distinguished it from its nearest phylogenetic neighbours. Based upon the consensus of phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses, we conclude that these strains represent two novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus swezeyi sp. nov. is proposed, with type strain NRRL B-41294T (=CCUG 70177T), and the name Bacillus haynesii sp. nov. is proposed, with type strain NRRL B-41327T (=CCUG 70178T).