Jiella soli sp. nov., a New Species of Moderately Halophilic Facultatively Methylotrophic Bacteria Isolated from Salty Soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped moderately halophilic facultatively methylotrophic bacterial strain, designated MH4T, was isolated from salty soil sample of the potash mining departments, Solikamsk, Russia. The strain was found to utilise methanol in presence La3+ and polycarbon compounds as carbon and energy sources. Growth optimum was observed to be at 28-37 °C, pH 5.5-6.5 and 2-5% (w/v) NaCl. The major fatty acid was C18:1ω7c. The polar lipid profile included phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequences similarity indicated that novel strain was closely related to representatives of genera Jiella and Aurantimonas (96.4-98.5%). Genomic comparisons of MH4T and type strains of these genera shared 20.7-23.1%, 77.1-79.1% and 73.3-74.5% values of digital DNA-DNA hybridization, average nucleotide and average amino acid identities, respectively, all well below the established thresholds for species delineation. The calculated percentage of conserved proteins values between strain MH4T and type strains of genera Jiella and Aurantimonas and the phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome and housekeeping genes (gyrB, recA, rpoB) sequences revealed that the strain MH4T belongs to the genus Jiella. Based on phylogenetic, genomic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analysis, strain MH4T represents a novel species of the genus Jiella, for which the name Jiella soli sp. nov. (type strain is MH4T = KCTC 92568T = VKM B-3413T) is proposed.