Sphingomonas montis sp. nov., Isolated from Forest Soil of Low-Altitude Mountain.

Strain DRJ-4 was isolated from forest soil of a low-altitude mountain and was taxonomically characterized by a polyphasic approach. This strain was yellow-colored, Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, non-sporulating, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, and rod-shaped. Strain DRJ-4 was able to grow at 20-42 °C, pH 6.5-10.0, and 0-1.0% (w/v) NaCl concentration. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain DRJ-4 formed a distinct lineage within the members of the family Sphingomonadaceae of the phylum Proteobacteria and moderately related to Sphingomonas faucium E62-3 (96.67% sequence similarity), 'Sphingosinicella ginsenosidimutans' BS11 (96.45% sequence similarity), Sphingosinicella vermicomposti YC7378 (96.27% sequence similarity), and Sphingobium boeckii 469 (95.82% sequence similarity). The sole respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10 and the major polyamine was homospermidine. The polar lipid profile revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, and sphingoglycolipid. The predominant fatty acids of strain DRJ-4 were summed feature 8 (Cω7c and/or Cω6c), summed feature 3 (Cω7c and/or Cω6c), C, and Cω6c. The genomic DNA G + C was 64.0 mol %. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic, and phylogenetic analysis, strain DRJ-4 represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas montis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Sphingomonas montis is DRJ-4 (= KEMB 9005-708 = NBRC 113142).