Quasi-graphitic carbon shell-induced Cu confinement promotes electrocatalytic CO2 reduction toward C2+ products.

For steady electroconversion to value-added chemical products with high efficiency, electrocatalyst reconstruction during electrochemical reactions is a critical issue in catalyst design strategies. Here, we report a reconstruction-immunized catalyst system in which Cu nanoparticles are protected by a quasi-graphitic C shell. This C shell epitaxially grew on Cu with quasi-graphitic bonding via a gas-solid reaction governed by the CO (g) - CO2 (g) - C (s) equilibrium. The quasi-graphitic C shell-coated Cu was stable during the CO2 reduction reaction and provided a platform for rational material design. C2+ product selectivity could be additionally improved by doping p-block elements. These elements modulated the electronic structure of the Cu surface and its binding properties, which can affect the intermediate binding and CO dimerization barrier. B-modified Cu attained a 68.1% Faradaic efficiency for C2H4 at -0.55 V (vs RHE) and a C2H4 cathodic power conversion efficiency of 44.0%. In the case of N-modified Cu, an improved C2+ selectivity of 82.3% at a partial current density of 329.2 mA/cm2 was acquired. Quasi-graphitic C shells, which enable surface stabilization and inner element doping, can realize stable CO2-to-C2H4 conversion over 180 h and allow practical application of electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion.

Altererythrobacter segetis sp. nov., Isolated from Farmland Soil.

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated YJ20T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of a spinach farmland at Shinan in Korea. Strain YJ20T was found to be aerobic, non-motile rods which can grow at 10-33 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 6.5-8.5 (optimum, pH 6.5-7.5) and in the absence of NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain YJ20T belongs to the genus Altererythrobacter with moderate sequence similarities to Altererythrobacter dongtanensis KCTC 22672T (96.8%), Altererythrobacter soli MN-1T (96.6%) and Altererythrobacter xinjiangensis S3-63T (96.5%). The phylogenomic analysis based on the whole-genome sequence demonstrated that strain YJ20T formed a distinct phyletic line with Altererythrobacter soli MN-1T and Altererythrobacter salegens XY-R17T showing average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of 79.4 and 77.5%, respectively. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as Q-10, and the major fatty acids were C17:1 ω6c, C18:1 ω7c and C15:0 2-OH. The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidycholin, sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified glycolipid, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified lipid. The G+C content of the genome was determined to be 66.3 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic properties and phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses in this study, strain YJ20T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Altererythrobacter, for which the name Altererythrobacter segetis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YJ20T (= KACC 19554T = NBRC 113199T).

Lysobacter telluris sp. nov., isolated from Korean rhizosphere soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming light-yellow-coloured rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated YJ15T, was isolated from soil at Bigeum island in Korea. Growth was observed at 10-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 6.0-7.5 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the absence of NaCl. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain YJ15T was closely related to 'Lysobacter tongrenensis' YS037T (97.8%), Lysobacter pocheonensis Gsoil193T (96.5%) and Lysobacter daecheongensis Dae08T (95.8%) and phylogenetically grouped together with 'Lysobacter tongrenensis' YS037T, Lysobacter dokdonensis DS-58T and Lysobacter pocheonensis Gsoil 193T. The DNA-DNA relatedness between strain YJ15T and 'Lysobacter tongrenensis' KCTC 52206T was 12% and the phylogenomic analysis based on the whole genome sequence demonstrated that strain YJ20T formed a distinct phyletic line with Lysobacterlter dokdonensis DS-58T showing average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of 76.3 and 21.3%, respectively. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as Q-8, and polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified aminolipids. The major fatty acids were iso-C17:1 ω9c, iso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and iso-C17:0. The genomic DNA G + C content was 68.2 mol %. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic properties and phylogenetic analyses in this study, strain YJ15T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Lysobacter, for which the name Lysobacter telluris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YJ15T (= KACC 19552T = NBRC 113197T).

Thermodynamically driven self-formation of Ag nanoparticles in Zn-embedded carbon nanofibers for efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction.

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), which converts CO2 into value-added feedstocks and renewable fuels, has been increasingly studied as a next-generation energy and environmental solution. Here, we report that single-atom metal sites distributed around active materials can enhance the CO2RR performance by controlling the Lewis acidity-based local CO2 concentration. By utilizing the oxidation Gibbs free energy difference between silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), and carbon (C), we can produce Ag nanoparticle-embedded carbon nanofibers (CNFs) where Zn is atomically dispersed by a one-pot, self-forming thermal calcination process. The CO2RR performance of AgZn-CNF was investigated by a flow cell with a gas diffusion electrode (GDE). Compared to Ag-CNFs without Zn species (53% at -0.85 V vs. RHE), the faradaic efficiency (FE) of carbon monoxide (CO) was approximately 20% higher in AgZn-CNF (75% at -0.82 V vs. RHE) with 1 M KOH electrolyte.

Agriterribacter humi gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel bacterium of the family Chitinophagaceae isolated from soil of a farming field.

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain YJ03T, was isolated from a spinach farming field soil at Shinan in Korea. Strain YJ03T was found to be an aerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming bacterium which can grow at 10-33 °C (optimum, 25-28 °C), at pH 6.6-9.5 (optimum, pH 7.0-7.5) and at salinities of 0-1.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % NaCl). Sequence similarities of the 16S rRNA gene of strain YJ03T with the closely related relatives were in the range 93.9-92.2 %, and the results of phylogenomic analysis indicated that strain YJ03T was clearly separated from species of the genera in the family Chitinophagaceae, showing average nucleotide identity values of 68.8-64.3 %. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was identified as MK-7 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and an unidentified fatty acid with an equivalent chain-length of 13.565. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids and six unidentified lipids. The G+C content of the genome was determined to be 41.8 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties and phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses using 16S rRNA gene sequences and whole-genome sequences in this study, strain YJ03T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus in the family Chitinophagaceae, for which the name Agriterribacter humi gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of Agriterribacter humi is YJ03T (=KACC 19548T=NBRC 113195T).

Agromyces humi sp. nov., actinobacterium isolated from farm soil.

A Gram-stain-positive actinobacterial strain, designated ANK073T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil sampled at a spinach farming field in Shinan, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain ANK073T were found to be aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming rods which could grow at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 6.5-7.5) and at salinities of 0-4 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % NaCl). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain ANK073T belongs to the genus Agromyces with high sequence similarities to Agromyces humatus CD5T (98.8 %), Agromyces tardus SJ-23T (98.5 %) and Agromyces iriomotensis IY07-20T (98.4 %). The phylogenetic analysis indicated that strain ANK073T formed a distinct phyletic line in the genus Agromyces and the results of DNA-DNA relatedness and phylogenomic analysis based on whole genome sequences demonstrated that strain ANK073T could be separated from its closest relatives in the genus Agromyces. The strain contained 2,4-diaminobutylic acid, glycine, d-glutamic acid and d-alanine in the peptidoglycan. The predominant menaquinones were identified as MK-12 and MK-11, and the major fatty acids were anteiso-C17 : 0, anteiso-C15 :  0 and iso-C15:0. The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The G+C content of the genome was determined to be 70.2 mol%. On the basis of its phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties and the results of phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses, strain ANK073T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Agromyces, for which the name Agromyces humi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ANK073T (=KACC 18683T=NBRC 111825T).

Sphingomonas segetis sp. nov., isolated from spinach farming field soil.

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain YJ09T, was isolated from spinach farming field soil at Shinan in the Republic of Korea. Cells of strain YJ09T were found to be strictly aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming creamy-yellow rods which can grow at 20-37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and at salinities of 0-0.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 % NaCl). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain YJ09T belongs to the genus Sphingomonas with high sequence similarities to Sphingomonas parvus GP20-2 T (98.0 %), Sphingomonas agri HKS-06T (97.7 %) and Sphingomonas lutea JS5T (97.4 %). The results of phylogenetic analysis indicated that strain YJ09T formed a distinct phyletic line in the genus Sphingomonas and the results of DNA-DNA relatedness studies demonstrated that strain YJ09T could be separated from its closest relatives in the genus Sphingomonas. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, unidentified glycolipids, an unidentified phospholipid and sphingoglycolipid. The predominant ubiquinone and polyamine components were Q-10 and spermidine, respectively. The major fatty acids were C18:1 ω7c, C16  : 0 and C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH. The DNA G+C content of this novel isolate was 65.9 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic properties and phylogenetic analyses in this study, strain YJ09T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas segetis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YJ09T (=KACC 19551T=NBRC 113247T).

Segeticoccus rhizosphaerae gen. nov., sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from soil of a farming field.

A Gram-stain-positive actinobacterial strain, designated YJ01T, was isolated from a spinach farming field soil at Shinan in Korea. Strain YJ01T was aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming cocci with diameters of 1.5-1.9 µm, and was able to grow at 10-37 °C (optimum, 28-30 °C), at pH 4.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and at salinities of 0-7.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0 % NaCl). Sequence similarities of the 16S rRNA gene of strain YJ01T with closely related relatives were in the range 96.2-92.8 %, and the results of phylogenomic analysis indicated that strain YJ01T was clearly separated from species of genera in the family Intrasporangiaceae showing average nucleotide identity values of 84.2-83.4 %. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was identified as MK-8(H4) and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16:1 h, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 1ω9c. The diagnostic diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was ornithine, and the interpeptide bridge was l-Orn-Gly2-d-Glu. The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, an unidentified phosphatidylglycolipid, two unidentified phosphoaminolipids and an unidentified phosphoglycoaminolipid. The G+C content of the genome was 70.1 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties and phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses using 16S rRNA gene sequences and whole-genome sequences, strain YJ01T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus in the family Intrasporangiaceae, for which the name Segeticoccus rhizosphaerae gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Segeticoccus rhizosphaerae is YJ01T (=KACC 19547T=NBRC 113173T).

Aquibacillus sediminis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from saltern soil.

A Gram-stain-positive, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain BH258T, was isolated from solar saltern sediment sampled at Shinan in the Republic of Korea. Cells of strain BH258T were found to be strictly aerobic, motile, endospore-forming rods which could grow at 15-45 °C (optimum, 35 °C), at pH 5.5-9.0 (pH 7.0) and at salinities of 0.5-20 % (w/v) NaCl (7-10%). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BH258T belongs to the genus Aquibacillus, showing highest sequence similarity to Aquibacillus koreensis BH30097T (96.1 %), Aquibacillus albus YIM 93624T (95.9 %), Aquibacillus halophilus B6BT (95.6 %) and Aquibacillus salifodinae WSY08-1T (95.1 %). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was identified as menaquinone-7, and the cell-wall peptidoglycan was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The major fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and three unidentified phospholipids. The DNA G+C content of this novel isolate was determined to be 37.35 mol%. On the basis of the results of phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses in this study, strain BH258T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Aquibacillus, for which the name Aquibacillus sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH258T (=KACC 18680T=NBRC 111875T).

Sphingobium pinisoli sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere soil of a Korean native pine tree.

A Gram-stain negative, aromatic compound degrading bacterium, designated strain ASA28T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of a pine tree at Anmyon island, Taean in Korea. Strain ASA28T was found to be strictly aerobic, non-motile, short rods which can grow at 15-28 °C (optimum, 25-28 °C), at pH 5.0-11.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and at salinities of 0-1.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0% NaCl). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain ASA28T belongs to the genus Sphingobium, showing high sequence similarity to Sphingobium scionense WP01T (97.8%), Sphingobium vermicocomposti VC-230T (96.8%), Sphingobium yanoikuyae ATCC 51230T (96.5%) and Sphingobium herbicidovorans MHT (95.6%). The predominant ubiquinone and polyamine components were identified as Q-10 and spermidine, respectively. The major fatty acids were identified as C18:1ω7c, C16:0, C14:0 2-OH and C16:1ω7c and/or C15:0 iso 2-OH. The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, phosphoglycolipid, four unidentified aminophospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid, two unidentified phospholipids and six unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of this novel isolate was determined to be 63.0 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness between strain ASA28T and S. herbicidovorans KCTC 2939T, S. vermicocomposti DSM 21299T and S. scionense DSM 19371T was determined to be 32 ± 5%, 30 ± 4% and 25 ± 5%, respectively. On the basis of the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses in this study, strain ASA28T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingobium, for which the name Sphingobium pinisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ASA28T (= KACC 18700T = NBRC 112246T).

Mycobacterium aquiterrae sp. nov., a rapidly growing bacterium isolated from groundwater.

A strain representing a rapidly growing, Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, non-sporulating and non-pigmented species of the genus Mycobacterium, designated strain S-I-6T, was isolated from groundwater at Daejeon in Korea. The strain grew at temperatures between 10 and 37 °C (optimal growth at 25 °C), between pH 4.0 and 9.0 (optimal growth at pH 7.0) and at salinities of 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl, growing optimally with 2 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on multilocus sequence analysis of the 16S rRNAgene, hsp65, rpoB and the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer indicated that strain S-I-6T belonged to the rapidly growing mycobacteria, being most closely related to Mycobacterium sphagni. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic analysis, the bacterial strain was distinguished from its phylogenetic neighbours by chemotaxonomic properties and other biochemical characteristics. DNA-DNA relatedness among strain S-I-6T and the closest phylogenetic neighbour strongly support the proposal that this strain represents a novel species within the genus Mycobacterium, for which the name Mycobacterium aquiterrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S-I-6T (=KACC 17600T=NBRC 109805T=NCAIM B 02535T).

Salirhabdus salicampi sp. nov., a halotolerant bacterium isolated from a saltern.

A Gram-stain-positive, halotolerant bacterium, designated strain BH128T, was isolated from soil of a saltern located at Bigeum Island in south-west Korea. Cells were aerobic, motile, spore-forming rods and grew at 15-53 °C (optimum, 35 °C), at pH 5.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and at salinities of 0-16 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 8 % NaCl). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7), and the cell-wall peptidoglycan type was A1γ, with meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The polar lipid pattern consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and four unknown phospholipids. The DNA G+C content was 36.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BH128T belonged to the genus Salirhabdus and showed highest similarity to Salirhabduseuzebyi CVS-14T (95.8 %). On the basis of the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses in this study, strain BH128T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Salirhabdus, for which the name Salirhabdussalicampi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH128T (=KACC 18690T=NBRC 111874T).

Aliifodinibius salicampi sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a grey saltern.

Three strains of a Gram-stain-negative, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain KHM44T, KHM29 and HHM4, were isolated from the sediment of a grey saltern located on Sinui island at Shinan, Korea. The isolates were aerobic, non-motile rods and grew at 15-50 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0) and at salinities of 3-25 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 10 % NaCl). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7), and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, iso-C17 : 1ω9c and anteiso-C15 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and glycolipid. The DNA G+C contents were 48.5-48.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strains KHM44T, KHM29 and HHM4 belonged to the genus Aliifodinibius in the family Balneolaceae, with sequence similarities of 95.1-97.2 % to members of this genus. Levels of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain KHM44T and the type strains of the other species of the genus Aliifodinibius ranged from 35.4 to 48.0 %. On the basis of polyphasic analysis from this study, strains KHM44T, KHM29 and HHM4 are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Aliifodinibius, for which the name Aliifodinibius salicampi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KHM44T (=KACC 19060T=NBRC 112531T).

Rhodanobacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov., isolated from soil of ginseng rhizosphere.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, yellow and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain CR164T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of a ginseng field at Geumsan in Korea. CR164T grew at between 15 and 37 °C (optimal growth at 28 °C), between pH 6.0 and 9.0 (optimal growth at pH 7.0) and at salinities of 0-1.0 % (w/v) NaCl, growing optimally in the absence of NaCl. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that CR164T represents a member of the genus Rhodanobacter, showing the highest sequence similarity to Rhodanobactercaeni MJ01T (98.5 %), Rhodanobacter ginsenosidimutans Gsoil 3054T (98.4 %), Rhodanobacter thiooxydans LCS2T (98.3 %), Rhodanobacter lindaniclasticus RP5557T (98.1 %), Rhodanobacter denitrificans 2APBS1T (98.0 %), Rhodanobacter fulvus Jip2T (97.6 %), Rhodanobacter soli DCY45T (97.3 %) and 'Rhodanobacterxiangquanii' BJQ-6 (97.0 %). The major fatty acids were iso-C17 : 1ω9c (21.8 %), iso-C15 : 0 (12.1 %), iso-C11 : 0 (11.9 %) and iso-C16 : 0 (11.1 %). The predominant ubiquinone was Q-8. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.3 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness between CR164T and the type strains of eight other species of the genus ranged from 51 to 9 %. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis, CR164T represents a novel species of the genus Rhodanobacter, for which the name Rhodanobacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CR164T (=KACC 18699T=NBRC 111845T).

Halomonas sediminicola sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a solar saltern sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain CPS11T, was isolated from the sediment of a solar pond located in Shinan, Korea. Strain CPS11T was a strictly aerobic, motile, straight rod-shaped bacterium that grew at pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0), at 10-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and at salinities of 1-20 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 10 % NaCl). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CPS11T belonged to the genus Halomonas, with sequence similarity of 98.5-94.3 % to existing type strains, showing highest sequence similarity to Halomonasfontilapidosi 5CRT (98.5 %), Halomonasventosae Al12T (98.5 %), Halomonascampaniensis 5AGT (98.2 %), Halomonas huangheensis BJGMM-B45T (98.0 %), Halomonas alimentaria YKJ-16T (98.0 %), Halomonas mongoliensis Z-7009T (97.8 %), Halomonas shengliensis SL014B-85T (97.5 %) and Halomonas cupida DSM 4740T (97.5 %). The predominant ubiquinone was Q-9. The major fatty acids were C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, C16 : 0, C17 : 0 cyclo, C12 : 0 3-OH and C18 : 1ω7c. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid, an unknown phospholipid and unknown lipids. The DNA G+C content of this novel isolate was 64.3 mol%. Levels of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain CPS11T and the type strains of ten other species of the genus ranged from 50 to 21 %. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis conducted in this study, strain CPS11T represents a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas sediminicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CPS11T(=KACC 18262T=NBRC 110636T).

Halobacillus salicampi sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a solar saltern sediment.

A Gram-positive, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain TGS-15(T), was isolated from the sediment of a solar saltern pond located in Shinan, Korea. Strain TGS-15(T) was found to be a strictly aerobic, non-motile rod which can grow at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 9.0), at 20-35 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and at salinities of 1-20 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 9 % NaCl). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain TGS-15(T) belongs to the genus Halobacillus, with sequence similarity of 98.5-96.0 % to known type strains, showing high sequence similarity to Halobacillus locisalis MSS-155(T) (98.5 %), Halobacillus faecis IGA7-4(T) (98.2 %) and Halobacillus alkaliphilus FP5(T) (98.0 %), and less than 98.0 % sequence similarity to other currently recognised type strains of the genus. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified lipid. The cell wall peptidoglycan was found to be based on L-Orn-D-Asp, the predominant isoprenoid quinone was identified as menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and the major fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C15:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and C16:1 ω7c alcohol. The DNA G+C content of this novel isolate was determined to be 45.3 mol %. Levels of DNA:DNA relatedness between strain TGS-15(T) and the type strains of 13 other species of the genus ranged from 52 to 9 %. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis conducted in this study, strain TGS-15(T) is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Halobacillus, for which the name Halobacillus salicampi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TGS-15(T) (=KACC 18264(T) = NBRC 110640(T)).

Streptomyces-derived actinomycin D inhibits biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and its hemolytic activity.

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile human pathogen that produces diverse virulence factors, and its biofilm cells are difficult to eradicate due to their inherent ability to tolerate antibiotics. The anti-biofilm activities of the spent media of 252 diverse endophytic microorganisms were investigated using three S. aureus strains. An attempt was made to identify anti-biofilm compounds in active spent media and to assess their anti-hemolytic activities and hydrophobicities in order to investigate action mechanisms. Unlike other antibiotics, actinomycin D (0.5 µg ml(-1)) from Streptomyces parvulus significantly inhibited biofilm formation by all three S. aureus strains. Actinomycin D inhibited slime production in S. aureus and it inhibited hemolysis by S. aureus and caused S. aureus cells to become less hydrophobic, thus supporting its anti-biofilm effect. In addition, surface coatings containing actinomycin D prevented S. aureus biofilm formation on glass surfaces. Given these results, FDA-approved actinomycin D warrants further attention as a potential antivirulence agent against S. aureus infections.

Halomonas salicampi sp. nov., a halotolerant and alkalitolerant bacterium isolated from a saltern soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, halotolerant and alkalitolerant bacterium, designated strain BH103T, was isolated from saltern soil in Gomso, Korea. Cells of strain BH103T were strictly aerobic, motile, straight rods and grew at pH 7.0-10.8 (optimum, pH 8.5), at 10-55 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and at salinities of 0-23 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 14 % NaCl). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BH103T belongs to the genus Halomonas, showing highest sequence similarity to Halomonas boliviensis LC1T (97.7 %), Halomonas neptunia Eplume1T (97.7 %), Halomonas variabilis IIIT (97.7 %), Halomonas alkaliantarctica CRSST (97.7 %), Halomonas olivaria TYRC17T (97.5 %), Halomonas titanicae BH1T (97.2 %) and Halomonas sulfidaeris Esulfide1T (96.2 %). The predominant ubiquinone was Q-9. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, C16 : 0 and C12 : 0 3-OH. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid and an unknown phospholipid. The DNA G+C content of this novel isolate was 54.7 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness between strain BH103T and H. boliviensis KACC 16615T, H. neptunia KCTC 2888T, H. variabilis KCTC 2889T, H. alkaliantarctica KCTC 22844T, H. olivaria DSM 19074T, H. titanicae JCM 16411T and H. sulfidaeris DSM 15722T was 45, 41, 39, 32, 38, 45 and 35 %, respectively. On the basis of polyphasic analysis from this study, strain BH103T represents a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas salicampi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH103T ( = KACC 17609T = NBRC 109914T = NCAIM B 02528T).