sp. nov. and sp. nov., phenolic acid-degrading bacteria isolated from forest soil and emended description of .

Two bacterial strains, 1N and 5N, were isolated from hemlock forest soil using a soluble organic matter enrichment. Cells of 1N (0.65×1.85 µm) and 5N (0.6×1.85 µm) are Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, non-sporulating and exist as single rods, diplobacilli or in chains of varying length. During growth in dilute media (≤0.1× tryptic soy broth; TSB), cells are primarily motile with flagella. At higher concentrations (≥0.3× TSB), cells of both strains increasingly form non-motile chains, and cells of 5N elongate (0.57×~7 µm) and form especially long filaments. Optimum growth of 1N and 5N occurred at 25-30 °C, pH 6.5-7.0 and <0.5% salinity. Results of comparative chemotaxonomic, genomic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that 1N and 5N were distinct from one another and their closest related type strains: RP11, LMG 27731 and CF1. The genomes of 1N and 5N had an average nucleotide identity (91.6 and 91.3%) and DNA-DNA hybridization values (45.8%±2.6 and 45.5%±2.5) and differed in functional gene content from their closest related type strains. The composition of fatty acids and patterns of substrate use, including the catabolism of phenolic acids, also differentiated strains 1N and 5N from each other and their closest relatives. The only ubiquinone present in strains 1N and 5N was Q-8. The major cellular fatty acids were C, 3OH-C, C cyclo, C cyclo ω8 and summed features 2 (3OH-C / C iso I), 3 (C ω6/ω7) and 8 (C ω7/ω6). A third bacterium, strain RL16-012-BIC-B, was isolated from soil associated with shallow roots and was determined to be a strain of (ANI, 98.8%; 16S rRNA gene similarity, 100%). Characterizations of strain RL16-012-BIC-B (DSM 110723=LMG 31706) led to proposed emendments to the species description of . Our polyphasic approach demonstrated that strains 1N and 5N represent novel species from the genus for which the names sp. nov. (type strain 1N=DSM 110721=LMG 31704) and sp. nov. (type strain 5N=DSM 110722=LMG 31705) are proposed.