Azospirillum fermentarium sp nov., a nitrogen-fixing species isolated from a fermenter

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, spiral or rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, diazotrophic bacterium (strain CC-LY743(T)) was isolated from a fermentative tank in Taiwan.. Strain CC-LY743(T) was able to grow at 20-37 degrees C and pH 6.0=8.0 and tolerated up to 3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. It was positive for nitrogen fixation, with activity of 10.6 nmol ethylene h(-1). 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain CC-LY743(T) showed highest similarity to Azospirillum picis DSM 19922(T) (96.1 %), Azospirillum oryzae JCM 21588(T) (96.0 %) and Azospirillum rugosum DSM 19657(T) (96.0 %) and lower similarity (<96.0 %) to all other Azospirillum species. Highest nifH gene sequence similarities were obtained with Azospirillum brasilense BCRC 12270(T) (92.0 %), Azospirillum formosense BCRC 80273(T) (92.3 %) and A. rugosum DSM 19657(T) (91.8 %). It was positive in the rapid identification by a genus-specific primer set. The predominant quinone system was ubiquinone 10(Q-10) and the DNA G+C content was 69.6 +/- 0.1 mol%. The major fatty acids found in strain CC-LY743(T) were n-C-16:0, C-19:0 cyclo omega 8c, C-14:0 3-OH/C-16:1 iso I, C-16:1 omega 7c/C-16:1 omega 6c and C-18:1 omega 7c/C-18:1 omega 6c. Based on its phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features, strain CC-LY743(T) is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Azospirillum for which the name Azospirillum fermentarium sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-LY743(T) (=BCRC 80505(T)=JCM 18688(T)=LMG 27264(T)).