Flavobacterium hankyongi sp. nov., isolated from activated sludge.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain KTCe-4, was isolated from activated sludge. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, the novel isolate was found to belong to the genus Flavobacterium and was most closely related to Flavobacteriumterrae DSM 18829 (97.8 %), Flavobacteriumvireti THG-SM1 (97.8 %), Flavobacteriumbrevivitae TTM-43 (97.4 %) and shared <96.4 % sequence similarity to the other members of the genus. Strain KTCe-4 contained MK-6 as the predominant isoprenoid quinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 G, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C17 : 1ω9c, as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified polar lipids and one unknown amino lipid. The DNA-DNA relatedness values of strain KTCe-4 with respect to type strains of recognized species of the genus Flavobacterium were less than 70 %. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, low values of DNA-DNA hybridization and polyphasic taxonomic analysis, strain KTCe-4 represents a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium hankyongi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Flavobacterium hankyongi is strain KTCe-4 (=KACC 16613=JCM 18198).