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Strains 1517(T) and 61D(T) were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. These Gram-positive lactic acid bacteria were homo-fermentative, facultatively anaerobic short rods. They were phylogenetically related to the genus Lactobacillus according to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, with 99 % similarity between strain 1517(T) and the type strain of Lactobacillus gigeriorum, and 98.6, 98.5 and 98.4 % between strain 61D(T) and Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus taiwanensis and Lactobacillus johnsonii, respectively. Multilocus sequence analysis and metabolic analysis of both strains showed variation between the two strains and their close relatives, with variation in the position of the pheS and rpoA genes. The DNA-DNA relatedness of 43.5 % between strain 1517(T) and L. gigeriorum, and 38.6, 29.9 and 39.7 % between strain 61D(T) and L. johnsonii, L. taiwanensis and L. gasseri, respectively, confirmed their status as novel species. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, two novel species of Lactobacillus are proposed: Lactobacillus pasteurii sp. nov., with 1517(T) ( = CRBIP 24.76(T) = DSM 23907(T)) as the type strain, and Lactobacillus hominis sp. nov., with 61D(T) (=CRBIP 24.179(T) = DSM 23910(T)) as the type strain.

In the early 1980s, a facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, short rod, designated 202(T), was isolated from a chicken crop and identified as a homofermentative lactic acid bacterium. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the strain was affiliated with the genus Lactobacillus, clustering within the Lactobacillus acidophilus-delbrueckii group. In this analysis, strain 202(T) appeared to be most closely related to the type strains of Lactobacillus intestinalis and Lactobacillus amylolyticus, with gene sequence similarities of 96.1 and 96.2 %, respectively. Strain 202(T) was found to differ from these two species, however, when investigated by multilocus sequence analysis, and it also differed in terms of some of its metabolic properties. On the basis of these observations, strain 202(T) is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus gigeriorum sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 202(T) ( = CRBIP 24.85(T) = DSM 23908(T)).

Five isolates that were related phylogenetically to members of the genus Pedobacter were isolated from freshwater of the hard-water creek Westerhöfer Bach, North Germany. The five strains (WB 2.1-25(T), WB 2.3-71(T), WB 3.3-3(T), WB 3.3-22(T) and WB 2.3-45(T)) were Gram-negative and chemoheterotrophic, with rod-shaped cells. Most of their metabolic properties matched those given in the description of the genus Pedobacter. Consistent with the genus description, their fatty acids included mainly iso-C(15 : 0) and summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)omega7c, iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH or both); C(16 : 1)omega5c, C(16 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) 3-OH, C(16 : 0) 3-OH and iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH were present in smaller amounts. The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone 7. With one exception, binary similarity values of the almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequences determined among the isolates as well as between the isolates and type strains of Pedobacter species were lower than 98.5 %. The only exception was the close relationship between Pedobacter caeni DSM 16990(T) and strain WB 2.3-45(T) (99.2 % similarity). DNA-DNA reassociation values determined for this pair of strains was 29.8 %, indicating that strain WB 2.3-45(T) represents a unique genospecies. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strains WB 2.1-25(T) and WB 2.3-71(T) form a group that is moderately related to P. caeni and strain WB 2.3-45(T) (98.5 % similarity). Strains WB 3.3-3(T) and WB 3.3-22(T) (98.5 % similarity) branched separately from these four organisms. The five phylogenetically isolated strains differed from each other as well as from the type strain of the type species (Pedobacter heparinus DSM 2366(T)) and some related representatives of the genus in several metabolic reactions and cultural parameters. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic distinctiveness, five novel species are proposed: Pedobacter duraquae sp. nov., with WB 2.1-25(T) (=DSM 19034(T)=CIP 109481(T)) as the type strain; Pedobacter westerhofensis sp. nov., with WB 3.3-22(T) (=DSM 19036(T)=CIP 109479(T)) as the type strain; Pedobacter metabolipauper sp. nov., with WB 2.3-71(T) (=DSM 19035(T)=CIP 109480(T)) as the type strain; Pedobacter hartonius sp. nov., with WB 3.3-3(T) (=DSM 19033(T)=CIP 109468(T)) as the type strain; and Pedobacter steynii sp. nov., with WB 2.3-45(T) (=DSM 19110(T)=CIP 109507(T)) as the type strain.

Two strains, designated WB 3.4-79(T) and WB 3.3-25, were isolated from a hard-water sample collected from the Westerhöfer Bach, Lower Saxony, Germany. The strains shared 100 % DNA-DNA relatedness, indicating membership of the same genospecies. This close relationship was supported by identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and high similarities in fatty acid composition and biochemical characteristics. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain WB 3.4-79(T) was 48.5 mol% and the predominant ubiquinone was Q-8. Major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Major fatty acids (>10 %) were C(16 : 0) and C(16 : 1)omega7c. Polyhydroxybutyrate and polyphosphate granules as well as unidentified enterosomes and a polar organelle are visible by electron microscopy. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the isolates were placed within the class Betaproteobacteria, remotely related to Chitinibacter tainanensis DSM 15459(T), Silvimonas terrae KCTC 12358(T), Formivibrio citricus DSM 6150(T) and Iodobacter fluviatilis DSM 3764(T). On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic distinctness, we propose a novel genus, Deefgea gen. nov., with Deefgea rivuli sp. nov. as the type species. The type strain of Deefgea rivuli is strain WB 3.4-79(T) (=DSM 18356(T)=CIP 109326(T)).

Ten new Flavobacterium-like strains were isolated from freshwater of the hard-water creek Westerhöfer Bach, northern Germany. These strains formed two phylogenetic groups: strains WB 1.1-56T, WB 1.1-04, WB 1.1-14, WB 1.1-57 and WB 1.1-63; and strains WB 4.2-33T, WB 4.1-86, WB 4.2-34, WB 4.2-32 and WB 4.2-78. Cells were Gram-negative, yellow-pigmented, chemoheterotrophic rods. Their major fatty acid profiles were similar, consisting of iso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) 3-OH, iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)omega7c and/or iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH). DNA G+C contents for strains WB 1.1-56T and WB 4.2-33T were 33.5 and 37.5 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain WB 1.1-56T was phylogenetically most closely related to Flavobacterium frigidimaris KUC-1T, and that strain WB 4.2-33T was related most closely to F. frigidimaris KUC-1T and Flavobacterium saccharophilum DSM 1811T. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strains WB 1.1-56T and WB 4.2-33T and the type strains of recognized members of the genus Flavobacterium were below 98 %. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments confirmed the separate genomic status of strains WB 1.1-56T and WB 4.2-33T. Strains WB 1.1-56T and WB 4.2-33T and their respective relatives differed from phylogenetically related Flavobacterium species based on several phenotypic characteristics. On the basis of their phenotypic and phylogenetic distinctiveness, the two groups of strains are considered to represent two novel species, for which the names Flavobacterium aquidurense sp. nov. (type strain WB 1.1-56T=DSM 18293T=CIP 109242T) and Flavobacterium hercynium sp. nov. (type strain WB 4.2-33T=DSM 18292T=CIP 109241T) are proposed.

Two yellow-pigmented, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterial strains, GH1-10(T) and GH29-5(T), were isolated from greenhouse soils in Korea. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that these strains were related to members of the genus Flavobacterium. Strain GH1-10(T) was most closely related to Flavobacterium psychrolimnae and Flavobacterium denitrificans, with sequence similarities of 95.9 and 95.2 %, respectively. Strain GH29-5(T) was most closely related to "Flavobacterium saliodium", F. denitrificans and Flavobacterium frigoris, with sequence similarities of 94.3, 92.5 and 92.5 %, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids of GH1-10(T) were iso-C(15 : 0), summed feature 3 (iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH and/or C(16 : 1)omega7c) and iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH, and those of GH29-5(T) were iso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH, iso-C(15 : 1) G and iso-C(15 : 0) 3-OH. Both strains contained menaquinone with six isoprene units (MK-6) as the sole quinone. The DNA G+C contents of GH1-10(T) and GH29-5(T) were 35 and 39 mol%, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic data presented, it is concluded that the two bacteria represent two separate novel species of the genus Flavobacterium. The names proposed to accommodate these organisms are Flavobacterium daejeonense sp. nov., with type strain GH1-10(T) (=KACC 11422(T)=DSM 17708(T)), and Flavobacterium suncheonense sp. nov., with type strain GH29-5(T) (=KACC 11423(T)=DSM 17707(T)).