Nita, I.; Kart, Y.; Strube, M. L.; Bentzon-Tilia, M.

Using an isolation chip (iChip), two bacterial strains, MME1T and MME2, exhibiting ovoid to curved rod cell morphologies and white-cream colony pigmentation were isolated from the surface of estuarine sediment at Nivaa Bugt Strandenge Bird Sanctuary, Denmark (55 degrees 55 42.6 N 12 degrees 31 23.6 E). Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of these isolates suggested them to be members of the genus Psychromonas, as both had above 97.5 % 16S rRNA gene similarity with Psychromonas aquimarina strain JAMM 0404T. Further genomic comparisons suggested MME strains to be representatives of a novel species, having an average nucleotide identity (ANI) < 85 % relative to all other genome sequenced species of the Psychromonas genus. The G+C content was 39.5 mol %. The species was facultative anaerobic, growing optimally at 15-20 degrees C and pH 7.0. The optimal salinity was lower than for other described species of the genus with 1-2 % NaCl, reflecting the estuarine source of isolation. GC-MS analyses identified C16:0, C16:1{omega}7c/ C16:1{omega}7t and C14:03OH as the predominant cellular fatty acids. Based on molecular, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic analyses, we propose that MME1 and MME2 represent a novel species of the genus Psychromonas with the name Psychromonas aestuarii sp. nov. with the MME1T (= DSM 118464T =LMG 33722T) as the type strain.