Demequina flava sp. nov. and Demequina sediminicola sp. nov., isolated from sea sediment.

Two novel Gram-stain-positive bacteria, designated HR08-7(T) and HR08-43(T), were isolated from a sea sediment sample from Rishiri Island, Hokkaido, Japan, and their taxonomic positions were investigated by a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that strains HR08-7(T) and HR08-43(T) and the members of the genus Demequina formed a monophyletic cluster with similarity range of 95.5-99.0 %. The peptidoglycan type of strains HR08-7(T) and HR08-43(T) was A4β. The predominant menaquinone of both strains was demethylmenaquinone DMK-9(H(4)) and the major fatty acid was anteiso-C(15 : 0). The DNA G+C contents of strains HR08-7(T) and HR08-43(T) were 64.5 and 62.4 mol%, respectively. The results of phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization, along with differences of strains HR08-7(T) and HR08-43(T) from the recognized Demequina species in phenotypic characteristics, indicate that the two strains merit classification as representatives of two novel species of the genus Demequina, for which the names Demequina flava sp. nov. and Demequina sediminicola sp. nov. are proposed; the type strains are HR08-7(T) (= NBRC 105854(T) = DSM 24865(T)) and HR08-43(T) (= NBRC 105855(T) = DSM 24867(T)), respectively.