Bacillus koreensis sp nov., a spore-forming bacterium, isolated from the rhizosphere of willow roots in Korea

Abstract

An endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium was isolated from the rhizosphere of willow roots in Korea. The bacterium, designated strain BR030(T), was a strictly aerobic, motile rod. The cell wall contained type A1 gamma peptidoglycan with meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-15:0, iso-C-14:0 and iso-C-16:0. The major cellular phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and unknown phospholipids (PL1, PL2). The genomic DNA G + C content was 36 mol%. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strain BR030(T) formed a distinct phyletic line within the genus Bacillus and was most closely related to Bacillus flexus DSM 1320(T), with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 96.8%. Sequence similarities to other type strains were lower than 96.2%. On the basis of physiological and molecular properties, the isolate represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus koreensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BR030(T) (= KCTC 3914(T) = DSM 16467(T)).