Pantoea theicola sp nov., isolated from black tea

A Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic strain was isolated from black tea. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity comparisons, strain QC88-366(T) was grouped into the genus Pantoea, being related most closely to the type strains of Pantoea gaviniae (98.5 %) and Pantoea calida (98.3 %); sequence similarities were <= 97.0 % to the.,type strains of other species of the genus Pantoea. Multilocus sequence analysis based on partial sequences of the gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD genes also revealed P. gaviniae and P. calida as the closest phylogenetic relatives. The fatty acid profile showed the major fatty acids of strain QC88-366T were C-16 : (0), C-16 : (1) and C-18 (:) (1), the same as those of its closest related species. However, the ratio of C-16 : 1, C-17 (: 0) cyclo, C-18 : 1 and C-18 : 2 differed slightly compared with those of the related neighbours. In addition, the results of physiological and biochemical tests also allowed the phenotypic differentiation of strain QC88-366(T) from its closest phylogenetic neighbours. The G +C content of the DNA was 57.2 mol%. Strain QC88-366(T) therefore represents a novel species of the genus Pantoea, for which the name Pantoea theicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is QC88-366(T) (=DSM 29212(T)=NBRC 110557(T)).