Halomonas montanilacus sp. nov., isolated from hypersaline Lake Pengyanco on the Tibetan Plateau

A Gram-stain-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile strain (PYC7W T ) was isolated from Lake Pengyanco on the Tibetan Plateau. Comparisons based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain PYC7W T belongs to the genus Halomonas , with Halomonas malpeensis YU-PRIM-29 T and Halomonas johnsoniae T68687 T as its closest neighbours (96.8 and 96.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively), and only 93.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Halomonas elongata ATCC 33173 T . The predominant respiratory quinone of strain PYC7W T is Q-9, with Q-8 as a minor component. The major fatty acids are C 18 : 1  ω 6 c and / or C 18 : 1   ω7 c , C 16 : 0 , C 16 : 1  ω 6 c and/or C 16 : 1   ω7 c , and C 12 : 0 3OH. The polar lipids of strain PYC7W T include phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and two unidentified phospholipids. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 4.79 Mbp and a G+C content of 62.9 mol%. DNA–DNA hybridization values of strain PYC7W T showed 45, 30 and 38 % relatedness with Halomonas johnsoniae DSM 21197 T , Halomonas hamiltonii DSM 21196 T and Halomonas stevensii DSM 21198 T , respectively. Combining phenotypic, biochemical, genotypic and DNA–DNA hybridization data, we propose that strain PYC7W T represents a novel species within the genus Halomonas and to have the name Halomonas montanilacus sp. nov.; PYC7W T (=CICC 24506 T = KCTC 62529 T ) is the type strain.