Acetobacter thailandicus sp. nov., for a strain isolated in Thailand

Abstract

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, and non-motile bacterium, designated as isolate AD25T, was isolated from a flower of the blue trumpet vine (Thunbergia laurifolia) at Tong Pha Phum, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA gene, 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and groEL gene sequences showed that the isolate was quite remote and constituted a cluster independent from the type strains of other Acetobacter species. The isolate was closely related to Acetobacter cibinongensis, one of the closest relatives, with 98.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. The DNA G -+- C content of the isolate was 51.4 mol%. The isolate grew intensely on 10 % ethanol with 1.5 % D-glucose in the presence of 0.3 % peptone and 0.3 % yeast extract, and grew weakly on 3.0 % D-glucose in the presence of 0.1 % ammonium sulfate as the sole source of nitrogen. The isolate produced only D-gluconic acid from D-glucose. Based on physiological, biochemical, and genotypic differences between the isolate and the type strains of the validly named species, it is proposed that the isolate be classified as a novel species of Acetobacter, for which the name Acetobacter thailandicus sp. nov. is introduced. The type strain is isolate AD25T (= BCC 15839T = NBRC 103583T).