Sinomicrobium pectinilyticum sp. nov., a pectinase-producing bacterium isolated from alkaline and saline soil, and emended description of the genus Sinomicrobium

A Gram-reaction-negative, non-spore-forming strain, designated 5DNS001(T), was isolated from soil of an ancient salt-extracting facility in China. Analysis of the almost-complete 16S rRNA gene sequence of the bacterium suggested that it belongs to the genus Sinomicrobium in the family Flavobacteriaceae. It exhibited highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Sinomicrobium oceani SCSIO 03483(T) (96.3 %), but less than 93 % sequence similarity with members of the genera Imtechella, Zhouia and Joostella and other recognized members of the family Flavobacteriaceae. The strain was able to hydrolyse pectin and starch by producing pectinase and α-amylase. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 42.6 mol%. The major respiratory quinone was MK-6. The major polar lipid detected in the strain was phosphatidylethanolamine. The dominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c). Based on phenotypic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, a novel species, Sinomicrobium pectinilyticum, is proposed. The type strain is 5DNS001(T) ( = CGMCC1.11000(T) = KCTC23776(T)).