sp. nov., a moderately halophilic and alkaliphilic bacterium isolated from an inland saltern in central Portugal and reclassification of as sp. nov.

A novel moderately halophilic and alkaliphilic Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, bacterial strain (N2) was isolated from an inland saltern in central Portugal. The taxonomic position of this isolate was determined based on polyphasic taxonomic and phylogenomic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that isolate N2 belongs to the genus , showing the highest similarity to 2W32 (98.14%). Phylogenomic analysis based on whole genomes, using the up-to-date bacterial core gene sets (92 genes), showed that strain N2 formed a distinct monophyletic lineage within the genus . The cells of N2 were motile rods that grew at temperatures between 30 and 40 °C (optimum at 35 °C), pH levels of 6.0-11.0 (optimum at pH 9.0) and salinities of 13-20 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum at 15% NaCl). Cells tested positive for oxidase and catalase activity. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7), and the major fatty acids were iso-C, anteiso-C, C and/or 10-methyl C. The polar lipids included two aminolipids, two glycolipids and seven phospholipids. The DNA G+C content was 42.0 mol%. Based on phylogenetic, phylogenomic, genomic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, we propose that strain N2 (=KCTC 102228=MCCC 1K08942) represents a novel species within the genus , with the name sp. nov. We also propose the reclassification of as sp. nov.