Brevifollis gellanilyticus gen. nov., sp nov., a gellan-gum-degrading bacterium of the phylum Verrucomicrobia

The taxonomic properties of strain DC2c-G4(T), a Gram-staining-negative, ovoid, gellan-gum-degrading bacterial isolate, were examined. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences identified this isolate as a member of the phylum Verrucomicrobia and closest to the genus Prosthecobacter. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between this isolate and any of the type strains of species of the genus Prosthecobacter were less than 95%. In addition, the absence of a single prostheca and the predominant menaquinone MK-7(H-2) supported the differentiation of this isolate from the genus Prosthecobacter. Here, we propose Brevifollis gellanilyticus gen. nov., sp. nov. to accommodate the isolate. The type strain of the type species is DC2c-G4(T) (=NBRC 108608(T)=CIP 110457(T)).