Halarchaeum acidiphilum gen. nov., sp. nov., a moderately acidophilic haloarchaeon isolated from commercial solar salt.

A novel halophilic archaeon, strain MH1-52-1(T), was isolated from solar salt imported from Australia. Cells were pleomorphic, non-motile and Gram-negative. Strain MH1-52-1(T) required at least 3.0 M NaCl and 1 mM Mg(2+) for growth. Strain MH1-52-1(T) was able to grow at pH 4.0-6.0 (optimum, pH 4.4-4.5) and 15-45 °C (optimum, 37 °C). The diether phospholipids phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, derived from both C(20)C(20) and C(20)C(25) archaeol, were present. Four unidentified glycolipids were also detected. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed the highest similarity to that of Halobacterium noricense A1(T) (91.7%); there were lower levels of similarity to other members of the family Halobacteriaceae. The G+C content of its DNA was 61.4 mol%. Based on our phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic analyses, it is proposed that the isolate should be classified as a representative of a new genus and species, for which the name Halarchaeum acidiphilum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Halarchaeum acidiphilum is MH1-52-1(T) (=JCM 16109(T) =DSM 22442(T) =CECT 7534(T)).