Genome-Based Classification of Strain 16-SW-7, a Marine Bacterium Capable of Converting B Red Blood Cells, as Pseudoalteromonas distincta and Proposal to Reclassify Pseudoalteromonas paragorgicola as a Later Heterotypic Synonym of Pseudoalteromonas distincta

Abstract

A strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, and motile bacterium, designated strain 16-SW-7, isolated from a seawater sample, was investigated in detail due to its ability to produce a unique α-galactosidase converting B red blood cells into the universal type blood cells. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strain 16-SW-7 is a member of the Gammaproteobacteria genus Pseudoalteromonas. The closest relatives of the environmental isolate were Pseudoalteromonas distincta KMM 638^T and Pseudoalteromonas paragorgicola KMM 3548^T, with the plural paralogous 16S rRNA genes of 99.87-100% similarity. The strain 16-SW-7 grew with 1-10% NaCl and at 4-34°C, and hydrolyzed casein, gelatin, tyrosine, and DNA. The genomic DNA G+C content was 39.3 mol%. The prevalent fatty acids were C_16:1 ω7c, C_16:0, C_17:1 ω8c, C_18:1 ω7c, C_17:0, and C_12:0 3-OH. The polar lipid profile was characterized by the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified amino lipids, and three unidentified lipids. The major respiratory quinone was Q-8. The finished genome of the strain 16-SW-7 (GenBank assembly accession number: GCA_005877035.1) has a size of 4,531,445 bp and comprises two circular chromosomes L1 and S1, deposited in the GenBank under the accession numbers CP040558 and CP040559, respectively. The strain 16-SW-7 has the ANI values of 98.2% with KMM 638^T and KMM 3548^T and the DDH values of 84.4 and 83.5%, respectively, indicating clearly that the three strains belonged to a single species. According to phylogenetic evidence and similarity for the chemotaxonomic and genotypic properties, the strain 16-SW-7 (= KCTC 52772 = KMM 701) represents a novel member of the species Pseudoalteromonas distincta. Also, we have proposed to reclassify Pseudoalteromonas paragorgicola as a later heterotypic synonym of P. distincta based on the rules of priority with the emendation of the species.

Keywords: Pseudoalteromonas paragorgicola; emended description of Pseudoalteromonas distincta; marine bacteria; phenotype; taxonogenomics.

FIGURE 1

Tree inferred with FastME 2.1.6.1 from GBDP distances calculated from genome sequences by the TYGS server (Lefort et al., 2015). The branch lengths are scaled in terms of GBDP distance formula d5. The numbers above the branches are GBDP pseudo-bootstrap support values >60% from 100 replications, with an average branch support of 92.7%. The tree was rooted at the midpoint (Farris, 1972). The square labels colored by the same color indicate the genomes with the same species (light lilac) and subspecies (dark lilac) gene clusters, G+C content (white), and delta statistics: Pseudoalteromonas_GCF_005877035.1 (the strain 16-SW-7), P. distincta ATCC 700518^T, and P. paragorgicola DSM 26439^T form one phylogenomic clade separated from other species of the genus.