Description of Paracoccus endophyticus sp. nov., isolated from Gastrodia elata Blume.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile strain, SYSUP0003, was isolated from tubers of Gastrodia elata Blume. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSUP0003 belonged to the genus Paracoccus, with the highest sequence similarity to the type strain of Paracoccus sediminis (97.5 %). Strain SYSUP0003 grew at pH 6.0-8.0 and 4-30 °C with optimum growth at pH 7.0 and 28 °C. Strain SYSUP0003 could tolerate up to 1 % (w/v) NaCl and grew optimally in the absence of NaCl. The isoprenoid quinone of strain SYSUP0003 was Q-10. The major fatty acids were C18 : 0, C16 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 7. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), aminophospholipids (AL), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and four unidentified polar lipids (L). The genome size was 3 204 685 bp, with a DNA G+C content of 69.7 mol%. The average nucleotide identity values between strain SYSUP0003 and P. sediminis DSM 26170 (ANIm 84.2 %, ANIb 75.6 %), Paracoccus solventivorans DSM 6637 (ANIm 84.5 %, ANIb 76.9 %) and Paracoccus alkenifer DSM 11593 (ANIm 84.3 %, ANIb 77.3 %) were below the cut-off level (95-96 %) for species delineation. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular characterizations, strain SYSUP0003 represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSUP0003 (=KCTC 62180=CGMCC 1.16545).