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A Gram-stain-negative, pink-pigmented, rod-shaped, non-flagellated, aerobic bacterium, designated strain SM1701 T , was isolated from a rotten seaweed collected off Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, West Antarctica. The strain grew at 4-30 °C, pH 6.0-8.0 and with 0.5-5 % (w/v) NaCl. It hydrolysed gelatin and Tweens (40, 60 and 80), but did not reduce nitrates to nitrites. The major cellular fatty acids of strain SM1701 T were iso-C 15 : 0 , iso-C 15 : 1 G, iso-C 16 : 1 G, C 16 : 0 and iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH. Polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid, two unidentified glycolipids and one unidentified aminoglycolipid. The major respiratory quinone was MK-7. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SM1701 T was 34.1 mol%. It showed high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Crocinitomix algicola (93.8 %) and Crocinitomix catalasitica (92.5 %) and less than 91 % sequence similarities to other known members in the family Crocinitomicaceae . Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SM1701 T constituted a distinct lineage within the family Crocinitomicaceae . The phylogenetic trees based on concatenated 261 protein sequences from genome sequences showed that strain SM1701 T occupied a branch separated from those of known genera in the family of Crocinitomicaceae , indicating it may belong to a new genus. On the basis of the polyphasic characterization of strain SM1701 T in this study, it is considered to represent a novel species in a new genus in the family Crocinitomicaceae , for which the name Putridiphycobacter roseus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SM1701 T (=KCTC 62302 T =NBRC 113201 T =CGMCC 1.16510 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, aerobic and diffusible yellow-coloured bacterial strain, designated strain ECD12 T was isolated from a seaweed, Ecklonia cava. The isolate required sea salts for growth. Catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ECD12 T formed an evolutionary lineage within the radiation enclosing the members of genera Spongiibacterium and Flagellimonas sharing the highest similarity to Flagellimonas eckloniae DOKDO007 T (96.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) followed by Spongiibacterium pacificum SW169 T (96.4 %) and Spongiibacterium flavum DSM 22638 T (96.1 %). The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 1 G. The new isolate contained MK-6 as the only isoprenoid quinone and phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified amino lipids and two unidentified lipids as the major polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content is 39 mol%. A number of phenotypic characteristics such as the production of diffusible pigment distinguished strain ECD12 T from the related species. On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, a novel species, Flagellimonas aquimarina sp. nov., is proposed for strain ECD12 T (=KCTC 52351 T =JCM 32292 T ). Based on the sequence similarity, phylogenetic relationship and common morphological, physiological and chemical characters among the members of the genera Spongiibacterium and Flagellimonas, it is recommended that the two genera are combined into a single genus. Thus, transfer of S. flavumYoon and Oh 2012 and S. pacificum Gao et al. 2015 to the genus FlagellimonasBae et al. 2007 as Flagellimonas flava comb. nov. and Flagellimonas pacifica comb. nov., respectively, is also proposed.

A non-motile, orange-coloured and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated strain ZOW29 T , was isolated from a seaweed sample collected from the South Sea, Republic of Korea. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and non-motile. The isolate required sea salts for growth. Carotenoid pigment was produced. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZOW29 T forms an evolutionary lineage within the radiation enclosing the members of the genus Dokdonia with Dokdonia diaphoros MSKK-32 T , Dokdonia eikasta PMA-26 T and Dokdonia donghaensis DSW-1 T (97.1 % sequence similarity each) as its nearest neighbours. The DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain ZOW29 T and these four type strains were 35-48 %. The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 1 G. Strain ZOW29 T contained MK-6 and phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid and an unidentified polar lipid as the only isoprenoid quinone and the major polar lipids, respectively. The DNA G+C content of strain ZOW29 T was 38 mol%. On the basis of polyphasic characterization, it is suggested that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Dokdonia, for which the name Dokdonia aurantiaca sp. nov. (type strain, ZOW29 T =KCTC 52956 T =JCM 32295 T ) is proposed.

A non-motile, proteorhodopsin-containing, yellow and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated ZODW10 T , was isolated from the seaweed Zostera marina collected from the West Sea, Republic of Korea. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and non-motile. The isolate required sea salts for growth. A carotenoid pigment was produced. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZODW10 T forms an evolutionary lineage within the radiation enclosing members of the genus Dokdonia with Dokdoniadiaphoros CIP 108745 T (96.7 % sequence similarity) as its nearest neighbour. The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 1 G. Strain ZODW10 T contained menaquinone 6 (MK-6) and phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid and an unidentified polar lipid as the only isoprenoid quinone and the major polar lipids, respectively. The DNA G+C content of strain ZODW10 T was 36 mol%. On the basis of the present polyphasic characterization, it is suggested that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Dokdonia, for which the name Dokdonia flava sp. nov. (type strain, ZODW10 T =KCTC 52953 T =JCM 32293 T ) is proposed.

A gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped (1.3-1.9×0.3-0.5 µm) and non-motile marine bacterium, designated MEBiC09412 T , was isolated from seaweed collected at Yeonggwang County, South Korea. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that strain MEBiC09412 T shared high sequence similarity with Marinirhabdus gelatinilytica NH83 T (95.4 %). Growth was observed at 17-38 °C (optimum 30 °C), at pH 4.0-8.5 (optimum pH 7.0) and with 0.5-6.0 % (w/v; optimum 2.5 %) NaCl. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (27.4 %), iso-C15 : 1 G (9.6 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (14.6 %), iso-C16 : 0 (6.2 %), iso-C17 : 0 3OH (13.2 %) and summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c; 7.4 %). The DNA G+C content was determined to be 43.1 mol%, while the major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6. Several phenotypic characteristics such as indole production, the oxidizing patterns of several carbohydrtaes (of glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, mannose etc.) and organic acids, and the enzyme activities of α-chymotrypsin and α-glucosidase differentiated strain MEBiC09412 T from M. gelatinilytica NH83 T . On the basis of this polyphasic taxonomic data, strain MEBiC09412 T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Marinirhabduswith the suggested name Marinirhabdus citrea sp. nov. The type strain is MEBiC09412 T (=KCCM 43216 T =JCM 31588 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, gliding and rod shaped bacterium, designated strain ZO2-23 T was isolated from a seaweed sample collected from the West Sea, Republic of Korea. Cells are catalase-negative and oxidase-positive. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZO2-23 T forms an independent lineage within the genus Kordia. Strain ZO2-23 T was related to Kordia ulvae SC2 T (98.0 %, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and K. antarctica IMCC3317 T (97.9 %). The major fatty acids of strain ZO2-23 T were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, summed feature 3 and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH. The only isoprenoid quinone of the isolate was menaquinone-6. The DNA G+C content of strain ZO2-23 T was 31.7 mol%. Phenotypic characteristics distinguished strain ZO2-23 T from the related species of the genus Kordia. On the basis of the evidences presented in this study, novel species, Kordia zosterae sp. nov., is proposed for strain ZO2-23 T (=KCTC 52268 T =JCM 31799 T ).

A non-motile, yellow-coloured and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain SFD34 T , was isolated from seaweed collected from the South Sea, Republic of Korea. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 1 G. Strain SFD34 T contained MK-6 and phosphatidylethanolamine as the only isoprenoid quinone and major polar lipid, respectively. The DNA G+C content was 35 mol%. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain SFD34 T formed evolutionary lineage within the radiation enclosing the members of the genus Dokdonia with Dokdoniapacifica SW230 T (96.86 % sequence similarity) as its nearest neighbour. A number of phenotypic characteristics distinguished strain SFD34 T from related members of the genus Dokdonia. On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, a novel species, Dokdonia lutea sp. nov., is proposed for strain SFD34 T (=KCTC 52269 T =JCM 31795 T ).

Two Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, aerobic and yellow-coloured bacterial strains, designated strains ECD14T and EC2D5T, were isolated from a seaweed Eckloniacava. The isolates required sea salts for growth. Flexirubin-type and carotenoid pigment was produced. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between the two new strains was 95.5 %. Flavivirga amylovorans JC2681T was the nearest neighbour of strains ECD14T and EC2D5T with 96.5 and 96.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively. The common major fatty acids and respiratory quinones were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G and unknown 13.565 and menaquinone 6 (MK-6), respectively. The common major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, an unknown amino lipid and an unknown lipid. The DNA G+C contents of strains ECD14T and EC2D5T were 33 and 31 mol%, respectively. On the basis of the polyphasic characterization of the two strains, it is suggested that the two isolates represent novel species of the genus Flavivirga, for which the names Flavivirga eckloniae sp. nov. (type strain, ECD14T=KCTC 52352T=JCM 31797T) and Flavivirga aquimarina sp. nov. (type strain, EC2D5T=KCTC 52353T=JCM 31796T) are proposed.

Disease is increasingly viewed as a major factor impacting the health of both natural and cultured populations of marine organisms, including macroalgae. The red macroalga Delisea pulchra suffers from a bleaching disease resulting from host stress and infection by opportunistic bacterial pathogens. However, how pathogens cause the disease and how the entire macro algal-associated community is involved in the process is unclear. Here, we perform a metagenomic analysis of microbial communities associated with diseased and healthy D. pulchra across multiple bleaching events. Analysis of reconstructed 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that bacteria belonging to the families Rhodobacteraceae, Saprospiraceae and Flavobacteriaceae, including bacteria previously implicated in algal bleaching, to be enriched in diseased D. pulchra. Genes with predicted functions related to chemotaxis, motility, oxidative stress response, vitamin biosynthesis and nutrient acquisition were also prevalent in microbiomes of bleached algae, which may have a role in pathogenicity. Reconstruction of genomes that were abundant on bleached samples revealed that no single organism contains all bleaching-enriched functional genes. This observation indicates that potential virulence traits are distributed across multiple bacteria and that the disease in D. pulchra may result from a consortium of opportunistic pathogens, analogous to dysbiotic or polymicrobial diseases., (© 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A strain designated as S85(T) was isolated from a seaweed collected from coastal area of Chuuk State in Micronesia. The strain was gram-negative, rod-shaped, and non-motile and formed yellow colonies on the SWY agar (0.2 % yeast extract and 1.5 % agar in seawater) and Marine agar 2216. The strain grew at pH 5-9 (optimum, pH 8), at 15-40 °C (optimum, 25-28 °C), and with 1-9 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3 %). The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain S85(T) was related to Lutibacter litoralis CL-TF09(T) and Maritimimonas rapanae A31(T) with 91.4 % and with 90.5 % similarity, respectively. The dominant fatty acids were iso-C15:0, iso-C15:0 3-OH and iso-C17:0 3-OH, C16:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The DNA G+C content of the type strain was 34.6 mol %. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, an unknown glycolipid and two unknown polar lipids. Based on this polyphasic taxonomic data, strain S85(T) stands for a novel species of a new genus, and we propose the name Ochrovirga pacifica gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of O. pacifica is S85(T) (=KCCM 90106 =JCM 18327(T)).

Carotenoids are a class of naturally occurring pigment, carrying out important biological functions in photosynthesis and involved in environmental responses including nutrition in organisms. Saproxanthin and myxol, which have monocyclic carotenoids with a γ-carotene skeleton, have been reported to show a stronger antioxidant activity than those with β-carotene and zeaxanthin. In this research, a yellow-orange bacterium of strain 11shimoA1 (JCM19538) was isolated from a seaweed collected at Nabeta Bay (Shizuoka, Japan). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 11shimoA1 revealed more than 99.99 % similarity with those of Jejuia pallidilutea strains in the family Flavobacteriaceae. Strain 11shimoA1 synthesized two types of carotenoids. One of them was (3R, 3'R)-zeaxanthin with dicyclic structure and another was identified as (3R, 2'S)-2'-isopentenylsaproxanthin, a novel monocyclic carotenoid with pentenyl residue at C-2' position of saproxanthin, using FAB-MS, (1)H NMR, and CD analyses. Culturing strain 11shimoA1 in an alkaline medium at pH 9.2 resulted in a markedly increased in production of 2'-isopentenylsaproxanthin per dry cell weight, but a decreased in zeaxanthin production as compared to their respective production levels in medium with pH 7.0. These carotenoids are likely to play some roles in the adaptation of the bacterium to the environmental conditions.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, short rod-shaped, non-motile and non-sporulating bacterium, designed strain 8-1b(T), was isolated from seaweed collected from the intertidal zone of Zhoushan sea area, East China Sea. Strain 8-1b(T) grew at 4-39 °C (optimum, 28-32 °C) and at pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, 7.0-8.5), and with 0.5-8% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1-3%) and 0.5-10% (w/v) sea salts (optimum, 2-3%). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 8-1b(T) was related closely to Aequorivita capsosiphonis JCM 15070(T) (96.7% similarity). The DNA G+C content of strain 8-1b(T) was 36.6 mol%. Compared with reference strains, cells of strain 8-1b(T) showed positive activities for H₂S production and utilization of D-mannose, DL-lactic acid, L-asparagine and glycyl L-aspartic acid. The major fatty acids of strain 8-1b(T) were iso-C(15:0), iso-C(17:0) 3-OH, iso-C(15:1) G and iso-C(17:1)ω9c. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone 6. The polar lipids of strain 8-1b(T) consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), three uncharacterized aminolipids (AL1-3), four uncharacterized glycolipids (GL1-4) and five uncharacterized lipids (L1-5). Based on the phenotypic and genotypic characterization, strain 8-1b(T) represents a novel species of the genus Aequorivita, for which the name Aequorivita viscosa sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain 8-1b(T) ( =CGMCC 1.11023(T) = JCM 18497(T)). Emended descriptions of Aequorivita antarctica and Aequorivita capsosiphonis are also presented.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, strictly aerobic, orange-pigmented bacterial strain, motile by gliding, designated CAU 1044(T), was isolated from a green seaweed and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain CAU 1044(T) formed a distinct lineage within the genus Maribacter and was most closely related to Maribacter antarcticus JCM 15445(T) and Maribacter arcticus KOPRI 20941(T) (96.3 and 95.7 % similarity, respectively). Strain CAU 1044(T) contained menaquinone 6 as the only isoprenoid quinone and iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 1 G as the major fatty acids. The cell wall peptidoglycan of strain CAU 1044(T) contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and the major whole-cell sugars were glucose and ribose. The polar lipids were composed of phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid, six unidentified aminolipids and four unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content was 40.2 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic data and phylogenetic inference, strain CAU 1044(T) should be classified as a representative of a novel species in the genus Maribacter for which the name Maribacter chungangensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CAU 1044(T) ( = KCTC 23735(T) = CCUG 61948(T)). Emended descriptions of the genus Maribacter and the species M. arcticus KCTC 22053(T) are also proposed.

A total of 16 marine strains belonging to the genus Arenibacter, recovered from diverse microbial communities associated with various marine habitats and collected from different locations, were evaluated in degradation of natural polysaccharides and chromogenic glycosides. Most strains were affiliated with five recognized species, and some presented three new species within the genus Arenibacter. No strains contained enzymes depolymerizing polysaccharides, but synthesized a wide spectrum of glycosidases. Highly active β-N-acetylglucosaminidases and α-N-acetylgalactosaminidases were the main glycosidases for all Arenibacter. The genes, encoding two new members of glycoside hydrolyses (GH) families, 20 and 109, were isolated and characterized from the genomes of Arenibacter latericius. Molecular genetic analysis using glycosidase-specific primers shows the absence of GH27 and GH36 genes. A sequence comparison with functionally-characterized GH20 and GH109 enzymes shows that both sequences are closest to the enzymes of chitinolytic bacteria Vibrio furnissii and Cellulomonas fimi of marine and terrestrial origin, as well as human pathogen Elisabethkingia meningoseptica and simbionts Akkermansia muciniphila, gut and non-gut Bacteroides, respectively. These results revealed that the genus Arenibacter is a highly taxonomic diverse group of microorganisms, which can participate in degradation of natural polymers in marine environments depending on their niche and habitat adaptations. They are new prospective candidates for biotechnological applications due to their production of unique glycosidases.

The siphonous green seaweed Bryopsis harbors complex intracellular bacterial communities. Previous studies demonstrated that certain species form close, obligate associations with Flavobacteriaceae. A predominant imprint of host evolutionary history on the presence of these bacteria suggests a highly specialized association. In this study we elaborate on previous results by expanding the taxon sampling and testing for host-symbiont coevolution Therefore, we optimized a PCR protocol to directly and specifically amplify Flavobacteriaceae endosymbiont 16S rRNA gene sequences, which allowed us to screen a large number of algal samples without the need for cultivation or surface sterilization. We analyzed 146 Bryopsis samples, and 92 additional samples belonging to the Bryopsidales and other orders within the class Ulvophyceae. Results indicate that the Flavobacteriaceae endosymbionts are restricted to Bryopsis, and only occur within specific, warm-temperate and tropical clades of the genus. Statistical analyses (AMOVA) demonstrate a significant non-random host-symbiont association. Comparison of bacterial 16S rRNA and Bryopsis rbcL phylogenies, however, reveal complex host-symbiont evolutionary associations, whereby closely related hosts predominantly harbor genetically similar endosymbionts. Bacterial genotypes are rarely confined to a single Bryopsis species and most Bryopsis species harbored several Flavobacteriaceae, obscuring a clear pattern of coevolution., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, slightly halophilic bacterium that was motile by gliding, designated KMM 6390(T), was isolated from the coastal green alga Ulva fenestrata collected from the Sea of Japan. A comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain KMM 6390(T) was a member of the genus Winogradskyella, with Winogradskyella echinorum KMM 6211(T) as its closest relative (97.8% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between the isolate and other members of the genus Winogradskyella were 95.4-96.7%. DNA-DNA relatedness between the isolate and W. echinorum KMM 6211(T) was 27%. Strain KMM 6390(T) was able to grow with 0.5-4.0% NaCl and at 4-37 °C. The isolate decomposed casein, gelatin, starch and DNA and produced acid from galactose, D-glucose, lactose and maltose. The major fatty acids were iso-C(15:0), iso-C(15:1), anteiso-C(15:0) and C(15:0). The polar lipid profile comprised phosphatidylethanolamine and two unknown aminolipids. The DNA G+C content was 34.2 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic investigations, strain KMM 6390(T) represents a novel species of the genus Winogradskyella, for which the name Winogradskyella ulvae sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is KMM 6390(T) (=KCTC 23626(T)=LMG 26444(T)). Emended descriptions of the genus Winogradskyella and of W. thalassocola, W. echinorum, W. exilis and W. eximia are also provided.

An aerobic, Gram-reaction-negative, non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterium, designated strain MDSW-25(T), was isolated from seaweed collected in the vicinity of Mara Island in Jeju province, Republic of Korea. Colonies were smooth, circular and convex with entire edges and yellow in colour. Growth occurred at 10-30 degrees C, at pH 6.1-9.1 and in the presence of 1-12 % (w/v) NaCl. The major fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (25.6 %) and iso-C(15 : 1) G (11.3 %), and the major menaquinone was MK-6. The DNA G+C content was 30.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain MDSW-25( T) belonged to the genus Mesonia, family Flavobacteriaceae . Sequence similarity with Mesonia mobilis and Mesonia algae was 97.5 and 95.4 %, respectively, but DNA relatedness between strain MDSW-25(T) and M. mobilis KCTC 12708(T) was only 47 %. A battery of phenotypic data, phylogenetic inference and DNA-DNA hybridization analyses supports the conclusion that strain MDSW-25(T) (=KCTC 22373(T) =DSM 21425(T)) represents a novel species of the genus Mesonia , for which the name Mesonia phycicola sp. nov. is proposed. On the basis of new data obtained in this study, an emended description of the genus Mesonia is also proposed.