p. nov., a nicosulfuron degrading bacterium, isolated from a microbial consortium.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, short-rod-shaped bacterium with nicosulfuron-degrading ability, designated strain LAM1902, was isolated from a microbial consortium enriched with nicosulfuron as a sole nitrogen and energy source. The optimal temperature and pH for growth of strain LAM1902 were 30 °C and pH 6.0, respectively. Strain LAM1902 could grow in the presence of NaCl with concentration up to 4.0 % (w/v). Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that LAM1902 was closely related to the members of the family to the genus , with the highest similarity to DSM 14399 (99.6 %), WZBFD3-5A2 (99.3 %) and Esp-1 (98.8 %). Multi-locus sequence analysis based on both concatenated sequences of the 16S rRNA gene and three housekeeping genes (, and ) further confirmed the intrageneric phylogenetic position of strain LAM1902. The genomic DNA G+C content of LAM1902 was 64.8 mol%. The low values of DNA-DNA hybridization (less than 43.7 %) and average nucleotide identity (less than 90.9 %) also showed that the strain was distinctly different from known species of the genus . The major fatty acids were C, C cyclo and anteiso C. Ubiquinone Q-9 was detected as the predorminant respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and aminophospholipid. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses and genome comparisons, we conclude that strain LAM1902 represents a novel species, for which the name sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LAM1902 (=JCM 33860=KCTC 72830).