N-156. Novel Ultramicrobacterial Isolates from a Deep Greenland Ice Core Represent a Proposed New Species, Chryseobacterium greenlandensis sp. nov
Three orange, Gram-negative, aerobic bacterial isolates, designated UMB 10, UMB 14 and UMB 34, were obtained from an enrichment culture inoculated with filtrate from a melted 3042 m deep Greenland ice core sample passed through a 0.2 um filter. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the three isolates belonged to a single species within the genus Chryseobacterium. The closest phylogenetic neighbors among the 29 validly described Chryseobacterium species were C. soldanellicola (2.7%), C. indoltheticum (3.3%), C. scophthalmum (3.3%), C. balustinum (3.3%) and C. piscium (3.9%), which formed a stable cluster with the isolates. Electron micrographs showed that the cells were short rods, had cellular volumes within the range of ultramicrobacteria (<0.1 um3), lacked flagella, formed small buds, and produced copious extracellular material. Growth was observed from 2oC to 37oC with an optimal growth rate (doubling time 2 h) at 30oC in TSB. Colonies were convex, shiny, orange on TSA and yellow on R2A. The flexirubin reaction typical for Chryseobacterium was positive. Cells were oxidase and catalase positive. The two major fatty acids in cells grown at 25oC were 15:0 iso (38.4%) and 17:0 iso 3OH (21.8%). On the basis of these results, the isolates represent a new species of the genus Chryseobacterium, for which the name Chryseobacterium greenlandensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is UMB 34T.