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An aerobic, Gram-negative, yellow-pigmented, non-motile bacterium, designated strain KMM 3882T, was isolated from a marine bivalve (Anadara broughtoni) collected from Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan, and was subjected to phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses. Strain KMM 3882T was found to exert a remarkable inhibitory activity against a number of Gram-positive micro-organisms. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain KMM 3882T within the genus Sphingomonas, as an independent lineage adjacent to Sphingomonas dokdonensis DS-4T and Sphingomonas panni DSM 15761T. Strain KMM 3882T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Sphingomonas dokdonensis DS-4T (97.3 %); similarities of 96.5-96.7 % were obtained with Sphingomonas pituitosa DSM 13101T, Sphingomonas azotifigens NBRC 15497T, Sphingomonas asaccharolytica NBRC 15499T, Sphingomonas trueperi DSM 7225T and Sphingomonas panni DSM 15761T. Chemotaxonomically, strain KMM 3882T contained sphingoglycolipid, C(16 : 0) and C(18 : 1) as predominant fatty acids and 2-OH C(14 : 0) as a major 2-hydroxy fatty acid, confirming the affiliation of strain KMM 3882T with the genus Sphingomonas. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and physiological and biochemical characterization, strain KMM 3882T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas molluscorum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KMM 3882T (=An 18T=NRIC 0685T=JCM 14122T=CIP 109223T).

A Gram-negative bacterium, YIM 003T, which was isolated from a contaminated plate in the laboratory, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. The organism had short-rod-shaped, motile cells, formed yellow-pigmented colonies on ISP2 medium and its optimum growth pH was 7.0-7.5. The major respiratory lipoquinone was ubiquinone Q-10. The phosphate-containing lipids detected in strain YIM 003T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid and one unidentified phospholipid. The major fatty acids were C(18 : 1)omega7c (59.8 %), C(16 : 0) (9.9 %), ai-C(17 : 0) (5.3 %), i-C(17 : 0) (4.4 %) and C(14 : 0) 2-OH (15.8 %). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 67.5 mol%. Strain YIM 003T exhibited levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 98.2 % to Sphingomonas phyllosphaerae FA2T and 98.0 % to Sphingomonas adhaesiva DSM 7418T but showed less than 97.0 % similarity with respect to other species with validly published names. The DNA-DNA relatedness values of the isolate with S. phyllosphaerae FA2T and S. adhaesiva DSM 7418T were 59 and 26 %, respectively. The phenotypic characteristics and genotypic data indicate that strain YIM 003T should be distinguished from S. phyllosphaerae FA2T and S. adhaesiva DSM 7418T. Therefore, on the basis of the polyphasic taxonomic data presented, a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, Sphingomonas yunnanensis sp. nov., is proposed, with the type strain YIM 003T (=CCTCC AB 204064T=KCTC 12346T).

Two bacterial strains (FA1 and FA2(T)) were isolated from the phyllosphere of a leguminous tree, Acacia caven, in central Argentina. The strains were Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, motile and formed yellow-pigmented colonies on nutrient agar. The two-primer RAPD patterns of the two strains were identical, suggesting that they belong to the same species. The complete 16S rRNA gene sequences of the two strains were obtained and comparisons demonstrated that they cluster phylogenetically with the species of the genus Sphingomonas sensu stricto. Strain FA2(T) was most closely related (97.6 %) to Sphingomonas adhaesiva. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to all other established Sphingomonas species ranged from 94.4 % (to Sphingomonas echinoides) to 97.6 % (to S. adhaesiva). Strains FA1 and FA2(T) were catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Aesculin was hydrolysed, gelatin and urea were not. beta-Galactosidase was produced. From 51 compounds tested 21 were used as single sources of carbon. The major respiratory lipoquinone was ubiquinone-10. The predominant cellular fatty acids were 16 : 0, 18 : 1omega7c and 16 : 1omega7c (from summed feature 3). Hydroxy fatty acids 14 : 0 2-OH and 15 : 0 iso 2-OH were present as well (from summed feature 4). The polar lipids detected in strain FA2(T) were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid and two unidentified phospholipids. The DNA G+C content of strain FA2(T) was 61 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed 27.6 % relatedness between strain FA2(T) and S. adhaesiva DSM 7418(T). Based upon phenotypic and molecular evidence, a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas is proposed, Sphingomonas phyllosphaerae sp. nov., with strain FA2(T) (=LMG 21958(T)=CECT 5832(T)) as the type strain.

The taxonomic position of two bacterial strains, BN6T and N,N, with the ability to degrade xenobiotic aromatic compounds (naphthalenesulfonates or N,N-dimethylaniline) was investigated. The 165 rRNA gene sequence, the G+C content of the DNA (62-63 mol%) and the detection of ubiquinone Q-10, 2-hydroxymyristic acid and the sphingoglycolipid present clearly placed the two strains into the genus Sphingomonas. Both strains are representatives of one species according to the level of DNA relatedness (70.7%). The strains could be separated from all validly described taxa of the genus Sphingomonas, according to the 16S rRNA gene sequence (the highest sequence similarity observed was 96 % to Sphingomonas yanoikuyae), the pattern of the polar lipids and physiological characteristics. Therefore, the new species Sphingomonas xenophaga is proposed to accommodate strains BN6T (= DSM 6383T) and N,N (= DSM 8566).