Agarilytica rhodophyticola gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from Gracilaria blodgettii

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, aerobic, agarolytic bacterium, designated 017 T , was isolated from Gracilaria blodgettii collected at the coast of Lingshui county, Hainan province, China. Optimal growth occurred at 28-33 °C (range 15-40 °C), with 3 % (w/v) NaCl (range 2-4 %) and at pH 8.0 (range pH 6.5-8.5). Cells of strain 017 T were motile and formed yellow colonies on marine agar 2216. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 017 T shared the highest similarity with Teredinibacter turnerae T7902 T (94.4 %). The predominant polar lipids of the novel isolate consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid and some other unknown lipids. Major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), and the sole respiratory lipoquinone was Q-8. The DNA G+C content of strain 017 T was 40.2 mol%. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and phenotypic characterization indicated that strain 017 T represents a novel species in a new genus of the family Cellvibrionaceae, order Cellvibrionales, for which the name Agarilytica rhodophyticola gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Agarilytica rhodophyticola is 017 T (=KCTC 42584 T =MCCC 1H00123 T ).