Bacillus salarius sp nov, a halophilic, spore-forming bacterium isolated from a salt lake in China

A moderately halophilic bacterium, strain BH169(T), capable of growing at salinities of 3-20% (w/v) NaCl was isolated from a saline lake in China. Strain BH169(T) was strictly aerobic, short-rod-shaped and non-motile (non-flagellated). Its major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-17:0, iso-C-15:0 and iso-C-16:0. The genomic DNA G + C content was about 43 mol% and the predominant quinone was MK-7. The cell-wall peptidoglycan was of the A1 gamma type, containing meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate formed a distinct phylogenetic line within the spore-forming rods of the genus Bacillus. The levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strains of Bacillus species were below 93%. On the basis of phenotypic and molecular properties, strain BH169(T) (= KCTC 3912(T) =DSM 16461(T)) represents the type strain of a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus salarius sp. nov. is proposed.