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Two yellow-pigmented novel strains, designated HF-S3 T and HF-S4 T , were isolated from farm soil in Paju, Republic of Korea. Cells of the two strains are characteristically Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, non-motile and rod-shaped. Strain HF-S3 T grew at 10-37 °C, while HF-S4 T grew at 15-35 °C. Both strains grew at pH 5.0-12.0 and in NaCl concentrations (w/v) of 0-2.0%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that HF-S3 T and HF-S4 T belong to the genus Sphingomonas , with HF-S3 T exhibiting 97.7, 97.6 and 97.4% similarity to Sphingomonas cannabina DM2-R-LB4 T , Sphingomonas leidyi DSM 4733 T and Sphingomonas canadensis FWC47 T , respectively. Strain HF-S4 T displayed 97.9, 97.7 and 97.6% similarity to Sphingomonas psychrotolerans Cra20 T , Sphingomonas gei ZFGT-11 T and Sphingomonas naasensis KIS18-15 T , respectively. The DNA G+C contents of HF-S3 T and HF-S4 T were 67.0 and 66.5 mol%, respectively. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values among the novel and related type strains were 20.2-28.2% and 75.9-84.3%, respectively. They all contained C 14:0 2-OH and C 16:0 , summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω 6 c and/or C 18:1 ω 7 c ) as the major fatty acids and ubiquinone-10 as the predominant respiratory quinone. Strains HF-S3 T and HF-S4 T were found to produce carotenoid-type pigments. Based on polyphasic taxonomic analysis, the new isolates ostensibly represent two novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , with the proposed names Sphingomonas rustica sp. nov. and Sphingomonas agrestis sp. nov. for strains HF-S3 T and HF-S4 T , respectively. The S. rustica and S. agrestis type strains are HF-S3 T (=KACC 23554 T =TBRC 18352 T ) and HF-S4 T (=KACC 23386 T =TBRC 17899 T ), respectively.

Two facultatively aerobic strains, designated SGZ-02 T and SGZ-792 T , were isolated from plant Pennisetum sp., exhibiting the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with the type strains of Sphingomonas zeae LMG 28739 T (98.6%) and Massilia forsythiae NBRC 114511 T (98.4%), respectively. SGZ-02 T grew between 5 and 45 °C, pH 5.0-11.0 and tolerated NaCl concentrations of 0-4% (w/v), whereas SGZ-792 T thrived at 5-40 °C, pH 5.0-11.0 and NaCl tolerance to 0-3.5% (w/v). The major quinone of SGZ-02 T was ubiquinone-10, with the dominant fatty acids being C 16:0 (13.5%), Summed Feature 3 (6.3%), C 14:0 2-OH (5.3%) and Summed Feature 8 (66.3%). SGZ-792 T predominantly contained ubiquinone-8, with major fatty acids being C 16:0 (20.3%), Summed Feature 3 (5.0%) and Summed Feature 8 (54.7%). Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between two strains and their closest references strains were below the bacterial species threshold. Based on genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, strains SGZ-02 T and SGZ-792 T are proposed as novel species within the genera Sphingomonas and Massilia, respectively. The suggested names for the new species are Sphingomonas fuzhouensis sp. nov. (SGZ-02 T  = GDMCC 1.4033 T  = JCM 36769 T ) and Massilia phyllosphaerae sp. nov. (SGZ-792 T  = GDMCC 1.4211 T  = JCM 36643 T ), respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Quartzite caves located on table-top mountains (tepuis) in the Guyana Shield, are ancient, remote, and pristine subterranean environments where microbes have evolved peculiar metabolic strategies to thrive in silica-rich, slightly acidic and oligotrophic conditions. In this study, we explored the culturable fraction of the microbiota inhabiting the (ortho)quartzite cave systems in Venezuelan tepui (remote table-top mountains) and we investigated their metabolic and enzymatic activities in relation with silica solubilization and extracellular hydrolytic activities as well as the capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds. Eighty microbial strains were isolated with a range of different enzymatic capabilities. More than half of the isolated strains performed at least three enzymatic activities and four bacterial strains displayed antimicrobial activities. The antimicrobial producers Paraburkholderia bryophila CMB_CA002 and Sphingomonas sp. MEM_CA187, were further analyzed by conducting chemotaxonomy, phylogenomics, and phenomics. While the isolate MEM_CA187 represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas imawarii sp. nov. is proposed, P. bryophila CMB_CA002 is affiliated with a few strains of the same species that are antimicrobial producers. Chemical analyses demonstrated that CMB_CA002 produces ditropolonyl sulfide that has a broad range of activity and a possibly novel siderophore. Although the antimicrobial compounds produced by MEM_CA187 could not be identified through HPLC-MS analysis due to the absence of reference compounds, it represents the first soil-associated Sphingomonas strain with the capacity to produce antimicrobials. This work provides first insights into the metabolic potential present in quartzite cave systems pointing out that these environments are a novel and still understudied source of microbial strains with biotechnological potential., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There is no conflict of interest among the authors., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Bacteria embellish their cell envelopes with a variety of specialized polysaccharides. Biosynthesis pathways for these glycans are complex, and final products vary greatly in their chemical structures, physical properties, and biological activities. This tremendous diversity comes from the ability to arrange complex pools of monosaccharide building blocks into polymers with many possible linkage configurations. Due to the complex chemistry of bacterial glycans, very few biosynthetic pathways have been defined in detail. As part of an initiative to characterize novel polysaccharide biosynthesis enzymes, we isolated a bacterium from Lake Michigan called Sphingomonas sp. LM7 that is proficient in exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. We identified genes that contribute to EPS biosynthesis in LM7 by screening a transposon mutant library for colonies displaying altered colony morphology. A gene cluster was identified that appears to encode a complete wzy/wzx- dependent polysaccharide assembly pathway. Deleting individual genes in this cluster caused a non-mucoid phenotype and a corresponding loss of EPS secretion, confirming the role of this gene cluster in polysaccharide production. We extracted EPS from LM7 cultures and determined that it contains a linear chain of 3- and 4-linked glucose, galactose, and glucuronic acid residues. Finally, we show that the EPS pathway in Sphingomonas sp. LM7 diverges from that of sphingan-family EPSs and adhesive polysaccharides such as the holdfast that are present in other Alphaproteobacteria . Our approach of characterizing complete biosynthetic pathways holds promise for engineering polysaccharides with valuable properties., Importance: Bacteria produce complex polysaccharides that serve a range of biological functions. These polymers often have properties that make them attractive for industrial applications, but they remain woefully underutilized. In this work, we studied a novel polysaccharide called promonan that is produced by Sphingomonas sp. LM7, a bacterium we isolated from Lake Michigan. We extracted promonan from LM7 cultures and identified which sugars are present in the polymer. We also identified the genes responsible for polysaccharide production. Comparing the promonan genes to those of other bacteria showed that promonan is distinct from previously characterized polysaccharides. We conclude by discussing how the promonan pathway could be used to produce new polysaccharides through genetic engineering., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In sugarcane, sequences related to the genus Sphingomonas have been widely detected by microbiome studies. In this work, the presence of bacteria of this genus was confirmed using culture-dependent and independent techniques. A collection of thirty isolates was obtained using semispecific cultivation conditions, and a specific PCR assay was applied to help confirm the isolates as belonging to the genus. A series of laboratory evaluations were carried out to identify potential properties among the isolates in the collection, which consequently allowed the identification of some most promising isolates for the development of new agricultural bioinputs. In a separate analysis, the culture-independent fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methodology was applied to demonstrate the natural occurrence of Sphingomonas in different organs and tissues of sugarcane. The results showed the presence of bacteria of the genus in the spaces between cells (apoplast) of the culm parenchyma, in vessels in the region of the leaf vein, on the adaxial surface of the leaf blade, and on the root surface, sometimes close to the base of root hairs, which suggests extensive colonization on the host plant. In summary, the present study corroborates previous metagenomic amplicon sequencing results that indicated a high occurrence of Sphingomonas associated with sugarcane. This is the first study that uses approaches other than amplicon sequencing to confirm the occurrence of the genus in sugarcane and, at the same time, demonstrates potentially beneficial activities to be explored by sugarcane cultivation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Two novel strains of bacteria, CA1-15 T and BIUV-7 T , were isolated from soil samples gathered in Cheonan-si, Republic of Korea, and Inje-gun, Republic of Korea, respectively. These bacteria are Gram-negative, aerobic, and non-motile. Phylogenetic evaluations, using the sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, showed that strains CA1-15 T and BIUV-7 T belong to a distinctive clade within the family Sphingomonadaceae (order Sphingomonadales, class Alphaproteobacteria). The strains exhibited the highest similarity in their genetic makeup with representatives of the genus Sphingomonas. Strain CA1-15 T was closely related to Sphingomonas echinoides NRRL B-3126 T (97.8% similarity in 16S rRNA gene sequence), Sphingomonas oligophenolica JCM 12,082 T (97.8%), Sphingomonas glacialis C16y T (97.6%) and Sphingomonas psychrolutea MDB1-A T (97.3%). Strain BIUV-7 T was closely related to Sphingomonas nostoxanthinifaciens AK-PDB1-5 T (97.0%), Sphingomonas vulcanisoli SN6-13 T (96.3%), Sphingomonas naphthae DKC-5-1 T (96.2%), and Sphingomonas prati W18RD T (95.7%). The optimal growth conditions for strains CA1-15 T and BIUV-7 T were determined to be at pH 7.0 and a temperature of 25 °C. Analysis of the cellular fatty acids of strain CA1-15 T and BIUV-7 T revealed that summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c/C 18:1 ω6c) (60.4%), summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c/C 18:1 ω6c) (62.9%) were the major component, respectively. Additionally, both strains exhibited ubiquinone Q-10 as their major respiratory quinone, and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), glycosphingolipid (SGL), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as the major polar lipid. The genome of strain CA1-15 T measures 4,133,944 bp, comprising 4,026 coding sequences (CDSs) and 46 tRNA genes. Similarly, the genome of strain BIUV-7 T is 4,563,252 bp, characterized by 4,226 CDSs and 44 tRNA genes. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain CA1-15 T and other Sphingomonas species range from 73.2 to 79.9% and 19.4-22.9%, respectively. Comparatively, ANI and dDDH values between strain BIUV-7 T and other Sphingomonas species are in the range of 72.9-76.5% and 19.3-20.9%, respectively. Based on the biochemical, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses, it is evident that strains CA1-15 T and BIUV-7 T represent two novel bacterial species within the genus Sphingomonas. Accordingly, the names Sphingomonas immobilis sp. nov. and Sphingomonas natans sp. nov. are proposed. also, CA1-15 T (= KCTC 92960 T  = NBRC 116547 T ) is the type strain of Sphingomonas immobilis and BIUV-7 T (= KCTC 92961 T  = NBRC 116546 T ) is the type strain of Sphingomonas natans., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Microbes are essential for the functioning of all ecosystems, and as global warming and anthropogenic pollution threaten ecosystems, it is critical to understand how microbes respond to these changes. We investigated the climate response of Sphingomonas , a widespread gram-negative bacterial genus, during an 18-month microbial community reciprocal transplant experiment across a Southern California climate gradient. We hypothesized that after 18 months, the transplanted Sphingomonas clade and functional composition would correspond with site conditions and reflect the Sphingomonas composition of native communities. We extracted Sphingomonas sequences from metagenomic data across the gradient and assessed their clade and functional composition. Representatives of at least 12 major Sphingomonas clades were found at varying relative abundances along the climate gradient, and transplanted Sphingomonas clade composition shifted after 18 months. Site had a significant effect (PERMANOVA; P < 0.001) on the distribution of both Sphingomonas functional (R 2 = 0.465) and clade composition (R 2 = 0.400), suggesting that Sphingomonas composition depends on climate parameters. Additionally, for both Sphingomonas clade and functional composition, ordinations revealed that the transplanted communities shifted closer to the native Sphingomonas composition of the grassland site compared with the site they were transplanted into. Overall, our results indicate that climate and substrate collectively determine Sphingomonas clade and functional composition.IMPORTANCE Sphingomonas is the most abundant gram-negative bacterial genus in litter-degrading microbial communities of desert, grassland, shrubland, and forest ecosystems in Southern California. We aimed to determine whether Sphingomonas responds to climate change in the same way as gram-positive bacteria and whole bacterial communities in these ecosystems. Within Sphingomonas , both clade composition and functional genes shifted in response to climate and litter chemistry, supporting the idea that bacteria respond similarly to climate at different scales of genetic variation. This understanding of how microbes respond to perturbation across scales may aid in future predictions of microbial responses to climate change., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

An alpha-proteobacterial strain JXJ CY 53  T was isolated from the cyanosphere of Microcystis sp. FACHB-905 (MF-905) collected from Lake Dianchi, China. JXJ CY 53  T was observed to be an aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, oval shaped, and mucus-secreting bacterium. It had C 18:1 ω7c and C 16:0 as the major cellular fatty acids, Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone, and sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylmethylethanolamine as the polar lipids. The G + C content of DNA was 65.85%. The bacterium had 16S rRNA gene sequence identities of 98.9% and 98.7% with Sphingomonas panni DSM 15761  T and Sphingomonas hankookensis KCTC 22579  T , respectively, while less than 97.4% identities with other members of the genus. Further taxonomic analysis indicated that JXJ CY 53  T represented a new member of Sphingomonas, and the species epithet was proposed as Sphingomonas lacusdianchii sp. nov. (type strain JXJ CY 53  T  = KCTC 72813  T  = CGMCC 1.17657  T ). JXJ CY 53  T promoted the growth of MF-905 by providing bio-available phosphorus and nitrogen, plant hormones, vitamins, and carotenoids. It could modulate the relative abundances of nonculturable bacteria associated with MF-905 and influence the interactions of MF-905 and other bacteria isolated from the cyanobacterium, in addition to microcystin production characteristics. Meanwhile, MF-905 could provide JXJ CY 53  T dissolved organic carbon for growth, and control the growth of JXJ CY 53  T by secreting specific chemicals other than microcystins. Overall, these results suggest that the interactions between Microcystis and its attached bacteria are complex and dynamic, and may influence the growth characteristics of the cyanobacterium. This study provided new ideas to understand the interactions between Microcystis and its attached bacteria. KEY POINTS: • A novel bacterium (JXJCY 53 T ) was isolated from the cyanosphere of Microcystis sp. FACHB-905 (MF-905) • JXJCY 53 T modulated the growth and microcystin production of MF-905 • MF-905 could control the attached bacteria by specific chemicals other than microcystins (MCs)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Sphingomonas paucimobilis is a rare cause of bacteremia. It can affect both healthy and immunocompromised individuals. Community acquired infections of this organism are more common than nosocomial ones. We report two cases of community acquired S. paucimobilis bacteremia-one in a healthy patient and other in a diabetic patient. Both presented with multiple episodes of loose stools, pain abdomen, vomiting, decreased oral intake and myalgia. They responded well to Cefipime 1g and Sulbactam 500mg combination antibiotic and were discharged satisfactorily. In the absence of standardized guidelines, antibiotic sensitivity guided case-to-case therapy is warranted with prompt initiation to prevent complications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In an ongoing microbial tracking investigation of the International Space Station (ISS), several Sphingomonas strains were isolated. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, phylogenetic analysis identified the ISS strains as Sphingomonas sanguinis ( n  = 2) and one strain isolated from the Kennedy Space Center cleanroom (used to assemble various Mars mission spacecraft components) as Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Metagenomic sequence analyses of different ISS locations identified 23 Sphingomonas species. An abundance of shotgun metagenomic reads were detected for S. sanguinis in the location from where the ISS strains were isolated. A complete metagenome-assembled genome was generated from the shotgun reads metagenome, and its comparison with the whole-genome sequences (WGS) of the ISS S. sanguinis isolates revealed that they were highly similar. In addition to the phylogeny, the WGS of these Sphingomonas strains were compared with the WGS of the type strains to elucidate genes that can potentially aid in plant growth promotion. Furthermore, the WGS comparison of these strains with the well-characterized Sphingomonas sp. LK11, an arid desert strain, identified several genes responsible for the production of phytohormones and for stress tolerance. Production of one of the phytohormones, indole-3-acetic acid, was further confirmed in the ISS strains using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pathways associated with phosphate uptake, metabolism, and solubilization in soil were conserved across all the S. sanguinis and S. paucimobilis strains tested. Furthermore, genes thought to promote plant resistance to abiotic stress, including heat/cold shock response, heavy metal resistance, and oxidative and osmotic stress resistance, appear to be present in these space-related S. sanguinis and S. paucimobilis strains. Characterizing these biotechnologically important microorganisms found on the ISS and harnessing their key features will aid in the development of self-sustainable long-term space missions in the future. IMPORTANCE Sphingomonas is ubiquitous in nature, including the anthropogenically contaminated extreme environments. Members of the Sphingomonas genus have been identified as potential candidates for space biomining beyond earth. This study describes the isolation and identification of Sphingomonas members from the ISS, which are capable of producing the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid. Microbial production of phytohormones will help future in situ studies, grow plants beyond low earth orbit, and establish self-sustainable life support systems. Beyond phytohormone production, stable genomic elements of abiotic stress resistance, heavy metal resistance, and oxidative and osmotic stress resistance were identified, rendering the ISS Sphingomonas isolate a strong candidate for biotechnology-related applications.

Rationale: Infections with Sphingomonas paucimobilis are rarely described in the literature and can be community-acquired or associated with healthcare, especially in patients with chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus), malignancies, or other causes of immunosuppression, except in people without comorbidities. We present the case of a patient with diabetes mellitus and hypertension diagnosed during a routine evaluation, with splenic abscess caused by S paucimobilis. Our literature search revealed no other case report of splenic abscess caused only by S paucimobilis., Patient Concerns: We present the case of a 55-year-old Caucasian man with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension., Diagnosis: Thoraco-abdominal computed tomography revealed splenomegaly of 20X16X18 cm, with a homogeneous subcapsular hypodense collection, with a mass effect on the left hemidiaphragm., Interventions: The patient underwent surgical intervention and S paucimobilis was isolated on blood agar., Outcome: The patient received treatment with ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) for 14 days, with favorable outcomes., Lessons: S paucimobilis, a low-virulence bacterium, can cause community-acquired or nosocomial infections. Visceral localizations, usually symptomatic, can evolve rapidly, and the diagnosis is associated with complications or, as in our case, with careful investigation of some changes in laboratory investigations., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Two bacterial strains, designated as SYSU D00720 T and SYSU D00722, were isolated from a desert sandy soil sample collected from Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang, north-west China. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, oxidase-positive and catalase-negative. Colonies were circular, opaque, convex, smooth, orange on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar. The isolates were found to grow at 4-45 °C (optimum, 28-30 °C), at pH 6.0-7.0 (optimum, 7.0) and with 0-1.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%). Growth was observed on R2A agar, Luria-Bertani agar and nutrient agar, but not on trypticase soy agar. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, two unidentified aminolipids, one unidentified glycolipid, one unidentified aminoglycolipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids. The main fatty acids (>10%) were C 17 : 1  ω 6 c , summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 18 : 1  ω 6 c ) and C 16 : 0 . The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10 and the major polyamine was sym -homospermidine. The genomic DNA G+C content was 66.0 mol%. Strains SYSU D00720 T and SYSU D00722 were nearly identical with a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 99.6 %, and 100.0 % average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values. Phylogenetic analyses clearly demonstrated that these two strains belonged to the same species of the genus Sphingomonas , and had highest sequence similarity to Sphingomonas lutea KCTC 23642 T (97.3 %). The ANI, AAI and dDDH values of strains SYSU D00720 T and SYSU D00722 to S. lutea KCTC 23642 T were both 73.2, 69.9 and 19.2 %, respectively. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic distinctiveness, strains SYSU D00720 T and SYSU D00722 represent a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas arenae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSU D00720 T (=MCCC 1K05154 T =NBRC 115061 T ).

Objective: To investigate the Interaction between chronic endometritis (CE) caused endometrial microbiota disorder and endometrial immune environment change in recurrent implantation failure (RIF)., Method: Transcriptome sequencing analysis of the endometrial of 112 patients was preform by using High-Throughput Sequencing. The endometrial microbiota of 43 patients was analyzed by using 16s rRNA sequencing technology., Result: In host endometrium, CD4 T cell and macrophage exhibited significant differences abundance between CE and non-CE patients. The enrichment analysis indicated differentially expressed genes mainly enriched in immune-related functional terms. Phyllobacterium and Sphingomonas were significantly high infiltration in CE patients, and active in pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism and/or fat metabolism. The increased synthesis of lipopolysaccharide, an important immunomodulator, was the result of microbial disorders in the endometrium., Conclusion: The composition of endometrial microorganisms in CE and non-CE patients were significantly different. Phyllobacterium and Sphingomonas mainly regulated immune cells by interfering with the process of carbohydrate metabolism and/or fat metabolism in the endometrium. CE endometrial microorganisms might regulate Th17 response and the ratio of Th1 to Th17 through lipopolysaccharide (LPS)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Chen, Chen, Guo, Fang and Li.)

Species belonging to the genus Sphingomonas have been isolated from environments such as soil, water and plant tissues. Many strains are known for their capability of degrading aromatic molecules and producing extracellular polymers. A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, red-pigmented, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive, rod-shaped strain, designated DH-S5 T , has been isolated from pork steak packed under CO 2 -enriched modified atmosphere. Cell diameters were 1.5×0.9 µm. Growth optima were at 30 °C and at pH 6.0. Phylogenetic analyses based on both complete 16S rRNA gene sequence and whole-genome sequence data revealed that strain DH-S5 T belongs to the genus Sphingomonas , being closely related to Sphingomonas alpina DSM 22537 T (97.4 % gene sequence similarity), followed by Sphingomonas qilianensis X1 T (97.4 %) and Sphingomonas hylomeconis GZJT-2 T (97.3 %). The DNA G+C content was 64.4 mol%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization value between the isolate strain and S. alpina DSM 22537 T was 21.0 % with an average nucleotide identity value of 77.03 %. Strain DH-S5 T contained Q-10 as the ubiquinone and major fatty acids were C 18 : 1 cis 11 (39.3 %) and C 16 : 1 cis 9 (12.5 %), as well as C 16 : 0 (12.1 %) and C 14 : 0 2-OH (11.4 %). As for polar lipids, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine and sphingoglycolipid could be detected, alongside traces of monomethylphosphatidylethanolamine. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain DH-S5 T (=DSM 110829 T =LMG 31606 T ) is classified as a representative of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas aliaeris sp. nov. is proposed.

A polyphasic taxonomic approach was used to characterize three novel bacterial strains, designated as HDW12A T , HDW-15B T , and HDW15C T , isolated from the intestine of fish species Odontobutis interrupta or Siniperca scherzeri. All isolates were obligate aerobic, non-motile bacteria, and grew optimally at 30°C. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences revealed that strain HDW12A T was a member of the genus Nocardioides, and closely related to Nocardioides allogilvus CFH 30205 T (98.9% sequence identities). Furthermore, strains HDW15B T and HDW15C T were members of the genus Sphingomonas, and closely related to Sphingomonas lutea JS5 T and Sphingomonas sediminicola Dae 20 T (97.1% and 97.9% sequence identities), respectively. Strain HDW12A T contained MK-8 (H 4 ), and strains HDW15B T and HDW15C T contained Q-10 as the respiratory quinone. Major polar lipid components of strain HDW12A T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylinositol, and those of strains HDW15B T and HDW15C T were sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine. The G + C content of strains HDW12A T , HDW15B T , and HDW15C T were 69.7, 63.3, and 65.5%, respectively. The results of phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic analyses suggest that strain HDW12A T represents a novel species within the genus Nocardioides, and strains HDW15B T and HDW15C T represent two novel species within the genus Sphingomonas. We propose the names Nocardioides piscis for strain HDW12A T (= KACC 21336 T = KCTC 49321 T = JCM 33670 T ), Sphingomonas piscis for strain HDW15B T (= KACC 21341 T = KCTC 72588 T = JCM 33738 T ), and Sphingomonas sinipercae for strain HDW15C T (= KACC 21342 T = KCTC 72589 T = JCM 33739 T ).

Carotenoids are used commercially for dietary supplements, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals because of their antioxidant activity. In this study, colored microorganisms were isolated from deep sea sediment that had been collected from Suruga Bay, Shizuoka, Japan. One strain was found to be a pure yellow carotenoid producer, and the strain was identified as Sphingomonas sp. (Proteobacteria) by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis; members of this genus are commonly isolated from air, the human body, and marine environments. The carotenoid was identified as nostoxanthin ((2,3,2',3')-β,β-carotene-2,3,2',3'-tetrol) by mass spectrometry (MS), MS/MS, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Nostoxanthin is a poly-hydroxy yellow carotenoid isolated from some photosynthetic bacteria, including some species of Cyanobacteria. The strain Sphingomonas sp. SG73 produced highly pure nostoxanthin of approximately 97% (area%) of the total carotenoid production, and the strain was halophilic and tolerant to 1.5-fold higher salt concentration as compared with seawater. When grown in 1.8% artificial sea salt, nostoxanthin production increased by 2.5-fold as compared with production without artificial sea salt. These results indicate that Sphingomonas sp. SG73 is an efficient producer of nostoxanthin, and the strain is ideal for carotenoid production using marine water because of its compatibility with sea salt.

Introduction and Objective: Ixodes ricinus ( I. ricinus ) and Dermacentor reticulatus ( D. reticulatus ) are the most common ticks in Poland. These ticks contain many bacteria, which compose a microbiome with potential impact on humans. The aim of the study was to discover the microbiome of ticks in Poland., Material and Methods: Ticks were collected in The Protected Landscape Area of the Bug and Nurzec Valley, Poland, in 2016-2018 by flagging. They were cleaned in 70% ethanol and damaged in mortar with PBS (without Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ions). DNA was extracted from the homogenates with spin columns kits, and used as a matrix in end-point PCR for bacterial 16S rRNA fragments amplifications, and further for next generation sequencing (NGS) by ILLUMINA., Results: In 22 ticks (3 I. ricinus and 19 D. reticulatus ) 38 microorganisms were detected. The most common were Francisella hispaniensis and Francisella novicida . In 17 ticks, Sphingomonas oligophenolica , and in 12 Rickettsia aeshlimanii were found. In 2, I. ricinus specific DNA of Borrelia americana and Borrelia carolinensis were found. In one female, D. reticulatus Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma centrale were found. Pseudomonas lutea and Ps. moraviensis were detected in 9 and 8 ticks, respectively., Conclusions: Polish ticks microbiome contains not only well-known tick-borne pathogens, but also other pathogenic microorganisms. For the first time in Poland, Borrelia americana and Borrelia carolinensis in I. ricinus collected from the environment were detected. The dominant pathogenic microorganisms for humans were Francisella spp. and Rickettsia spp., and non-pathogenic - Sphingomonas oligophenolica . Knowledge of a tick microbiome might be useful in tick-borne biocontrol and tick-borne diseases prevention.

Sphingomonas sp. Shah is a bacterium that was first isolated from mammalian cell cultures. According to ribotyping data it is very much homologous to the clinically important pathogen Sphingomonas paucimobilis, which has generated pseudo-outbreaks. Using a tissue culture system, Sphingomonas sp. Shah was discovered to induce apoptosis in human lung epithelial carcinoma. Apoptosis of infected cells was determined by numerous criteria including (1) visual alterations in cellular morphology, (2) initiation of nuclear marginalization and chromatin compaction condensation, (3) the attendance of a high percentage of cells with subG1 DNA content, and (4) caspase-3 activation. In the current study we demonstrate the induction of apoptosis in mammalian lung epithelial cells upon infection with Sphingomonas sp. Shah and provide insight into the molecular processes triggering apoptosis.

The novel bacterial strain C33 T was isolated from a freshwater sample collected from the Hapcheon-Changnyeong barrage. The Gram-negative, motile, yellow-pigmented strain C33 T was characterized as a rod-shaped and strictly aerobic bacterium. A 16S-rRNA phylogenetic analysis revealed that this strain was most closely related to Sphingomonas changbaiensis V2M44 T , Sphingomonas tabacisoli X1-8 T , and Sphingomonas flavalba ZLT-5 T with 97.1, 97.0, and 95.0 % 16S-rRNA sequence similarities, respectively. The genomic DNA GC content of strain C33 T was estimated at 65.0 mol%. The average nucleotide identity of strain C33 T relative to S. changbaiensis V2M44 T and S. flavalba ZLT-5 T was found to be 77.0 and 75.6%, with average amino-acid identities of 69.9, and 66.7%, and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of 21.3 and 17.7 %, respectively. The cells grew at 19-37 °C and pH 6-9 with 0-0.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum: 28 °C, pH 6.5, and 0 % NaCl). The major component identified in the polyamine pattern was sym -homospermidine, and the main ubiquinone was Q-10. The predominant polar lipids characterized were diphophatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, and sphingoglycolipid. Iso-C 15 : 0 , C 15 : 0 anteiso, and summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 ω 6 c and/or C 16 : 1 ω 7 c ) were found to be the primary cellular fatty acids in strain C33 T . Based on these genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, strain C33 T was classified as a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas ; and the name Sphingomonas changnyeongensis sp. nov. is proposed (=KACC 21511 T =JCM 33880 T ).

A strain LZ1, which showed efficient asymmetric reduction of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) acetophenone to enantiopure (S)-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol, which is the key intermediate for the synthesis of a receptor antagonist and antidepressant, was isolated from a soil sample. Based on its morphological, 16S rDNA sequence, and phylogenetic analysis, the strain LZ1 was identified to be Sphingomonas sp. LZ1. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of the species Sphingomonas exhibiting stricter S-enantioselectivity and its use for the asymmetric reduction of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) acetophenone. Some key reaction parameters involved in the bioreduction catalyzed by whole cells of Sphingomonas sp. LZ1 were subsequently optimized, and the optimized conditions for the synthesis of (S)-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol were determined to be as follows: phosphate buffer pH 7.5, 70 mM of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) acetophenone, 30 g/L of glucose as a co-substrate, 300 g (wet weight)/L of resting cell as the biocatalyst, and a reaction for 24 h at 30°C and 180 rpm. Under the above conditions, a best yield of 94% and an excellent enantiomeric excess of 99.6% were obtained, respectively. Sphingomonas sp. LZ1 could also asymmetrically reduce a variety of prochiral ketones to their corresponding optical alcohols with excellent enantioselectivity. These results indicated that Sphingomonas sp. LZ1 had a remarkable capacity to reduce 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)acetophenone to its corresponding (S)-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol, and might be a new potential biocatalyst for the production of valuable chiral alcohols in industry.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile bacterial strains, 36D10-4-7 T and 30C10-4-7 T , were isolated from bark canker tissue of Populus × euramericana , respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain 36D10-4-7 T shows 98.0 % sequence similarity to Sphingomonas adhaesiva DSM 7418 T , and strain 30C10-4-7 T shows highest sequence similarity to Sphingobacterium arenae H-12 T (95.6 %). Average nucleotide identity analysis indicates that strain 36D10-4-7 T is a novel member different from recognized species in the genus Sphingomonas . The main fatty acids and respiratory quinone detected in strain 36D10-4-7 T are C 18 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 18 : 1  ω 6 c and Q-10, respectively. The polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, aminolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, two uncharacterized phospholipids and two uncharacterized lipids. For strain 30C10-4-7 T , the major fatty acids and menaquinone are iso-C 15 : 0 , C 16 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 16 : 1  ω 6 c and iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH and MK-7, respectively. The polar lipid profile includes phosphatidylethanolamine, phospholipids, two aminophospholipids and six unidentified lipids. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, these two strains represent two novel species within the genera Sphingomonas and Sphingobacterium . The name Sphingomonas corticis sp. nov. (type strain 36D10-4-7 T =CFCC 13112 T =KCTC 52799 T ) and Sphingobacterium corticibacterium sp. nov. (type strain 30C10-4-7 T =CFCC 13069 T =KCTC 52797 T ) are proposed.

A novel bacterial strain, designated CSW-10 T , isolated from a freshwater pond in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped and formed yellow-coloured colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 30 °C, pH 7, and in the absence of NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain CSW-10 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Sphingomonas . The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity indicated that strain CSW-10 T was most closely related to Sphingomonas fonticola TNR-2 T (97.6%). Strain CSW-10 T showed 69.8-70.7% average nucleotide identity and 19.0-23.0% digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the strains of other related Sphingomonas species. The major fatty acids of strain CSW-10 T were summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω 7 c and/or C 18:1 ω 6 c ) and C 17:1 ω 6 c . The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, one uncharacterized sphingoglycolipid, five uncharacterized aminophospholipids, one uncharacterized phospholipid and one uncharacterized lipid. The predominant polyamines were homospermidine and spermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. Genomic DNA G+C content of strain CSW-10 T was 62.0 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain CSW-10 T should represent a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas lacunae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CSW-10 T (=BCRC 81190 T =LMG 31340 T ).

In this study, two endophytic bacterial strains designated JS21-1 T and S6-262 T isolated from leaves of Elaeis guineensis and stem tissues of Jatropha curcas respectively, were subjected for polyphasic taxonomic approach. On R2A medium, colonies of strains JS21-1 T and S6-262 T are orange and yellow, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and whole-genome sequences placed the strains in distinct clades but within the genus Sphingomonas. The DNA G + C content of JS21-1 T and S6-262 T were 67.31 and 66.95%, respectively. Furthermore, the average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of strains JS21-1 T and S6-262 T with phylogenetically related Sphingomonas species were lower than 95% and 70% respectively. The chemotaxonomic studies indicated that the major cellular fatty acids of the strain JS21-1 T were summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c and/or C 18:1 ω6c), C 16:0 , and C 14:0 2OH; strain S6-262 T possessed summed feature 3 (C 16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C 15:0 2-OH) and summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω6c and/or C 18:1 ω7c). The major quinone was Q10, and the unique polyamine observed was homospermidine. The polar lipid profile comprised of mixture of sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and certain uncharacterised phospholipids and lipids. Based on this polyphasic evidence, strains JS21-1 T and S6-262 T represent two novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the names Sphingomonas palmae sp. nov. and Sphingomonas gellani sp. nov. are proposed, respectively. The type strain of Sphingomonas palmae sp. nov. is JS21-1 T (= DSM 27348 T  = KACC 17591 T ) and the type strain of Sphingomonas gellani sp. nov. is S6-262 T (= DSM 27346 T  =  KACC 17594 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile strain, HHU CXW T , was isolated from hair of a healthy 21-year-old female student of Hohai University, Nanjing, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that HHU CXW T represents a member of the genus Sphingomonas with the highest sequence similarity (97.6%) to the type strain S. aquatilis JSS7 T . HHU CXW T grew at 4-35 °C and pH 6-8, with optimum growth at 28 °C and pH 7. Tolerance to NaCl was up to 2% (w/v) with optimum growth in 0.5-1.0% NaCl. The major fatty acids were C 16:0 , C 17:1 ω6c, C 18:1 ω7c11-methyl, summed feature 3 (C 16:1 ω7c and/or C 16:1 ω6c), and summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c and/or C 18:1 ω6c). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), sphingoglycolipid (SGL), phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIM), and an unidentified glycolipid (GL). The DNA G + C content was 67.1%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) between HHU CXW T and closely related members of the genus Sphingomonas were all below the cut-off level (95-96% and 70%, respectively) for species delineation. On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characterizations, HHU CXW T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas hominis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HHU CXW T (= KCTC 72946 T  = CGMCC 1.17504 T  = MCCC 1K04223 T ).

Alphaproteobacteria belonging to the group of the sphingomonads are frequently found in biofilms colonizing pure-water systems, where they cause technical and hygienic problems. In this study, physiological properties of sphingomonads for biofilm formation on plastic surfaces were analysed. Sphingomonas sp. strain S2M10 was isolated from a used water-filtration membrane and submitted to transposon mutagenesis for isolating mutants with altered biofilm formation. Mutants showing strongly decreased biofilm formation carried transposon insertions in genes for the biosynthesis of the polysaccharide sphingan and for flagellar motility. Flagella-mediated attachment was apparently important for biofilm formation on plastic materials of intermediate hydrophobicity, while a mutant with defect in spnB , encoding the first enzyme in sphingan biosynthesis, showed no biofilm formation on all tested materials. Sphingan-dependent biofilm formation was induced in the presence of specific carbon sources while it was not induced in complex medium with yeast extract and tryptone. The regulation of sphingan-based biofilm formation was investigated by interfering with the CckA/ChpT/CtrA phosphorelay, a central signal-transduction pathway in most Alphaproteobacteria. Construction and ectopic expression of a kinase-deficient histidine kinase CckA caused cell elongation and massive sphingan-dependent cell aggregation. In addition, it caused increased activity of the promotor of spnB . In conclusion, these results indicate that sphingan-based biofilm formation by sphingomonads might be triggered by specific carbon sources under prototrophic conditions resembling a milieu that often prevails in pure-water systems.

Soil salinity is regarded as severe environmental stress that can change the composition of rhizosphere soil bacterial community and import a plethora of harms to crop plants. However, relatively little is known about the relationship between salt stress and root microbial communities in groundnuts. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of salt stress on groundnut growth performance and rhizosphere microbial community structure. Statistical analysis exhibited that salt stress indeed affected groundnut growth and pod yield. Further taxonomic analysis showed that the bacterial community predominantly consisted of phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Saccharibacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, and Cyanobacteria. Among these bacteria, numbers of Cyanobacteria and Acidobacteria mainly increased, while that of Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi decreased after salt treatment via taxonomic and qPCR analysis. Moreover, Sphingomonas and Microcoleus as the predominant genera in salt-treated rhizosphere soils might enhance salt tolerance as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Metagenomic profiling showed that series of sequences related to signaling transduction, posttranslational modification, and chaperones were enriched in the salt-treated soils, which may have implications for plant survival and salt tolerance. These data will help us better understand the symbiotic relationship between the dominant microbial community and groundnuts and form the foundation for further improvement of salt tolerance of groundnuts via modification of soil microbial community.

Background: There is increasing evidence for a role of lung microbiota in the pathogenesis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). However, the alterations of lung microbiota in MPP with bronchial mucus plugs and its role in disease pathogenesis remain poorly understood., Methods: In this prospective observational study, we performed a longitudinal 16S rRNA-based microbiome survey on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples collected from 31 MPP with bronchial mucus plugs and 52 MPP without mucus plugs., Results: Our study showed a clear difference in airway microbiota between MPP children with and without bronchial mucus plugs. The MPP children with mucus plugs had lower abundances of Sphingomonas and Elizabethkingia, and a high abundance of Mycoplasma compared with MPP children without mucus plugs, subsequently contributing to increased ratios of Mycoplasma to Sphingomonas and Mycoplasma to Elizabethkingia. Children's age, fever time and serum cytokine levels were associated with airway microbiota alteration. Furthermore, significant correlations between bacterial genus abundances were found in MPP children with mucus plugs., Conclusions: Our results suggest an impact of airway microbiota on the clinical course of MPP in children, deserving further investigations., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel bacterial strain, designated MAH-6 T , was isolated from a garden soil sample. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped. The colonies were light yellow, smooth, circular and 0.6-1.2 mm in diameter when grown on nutrient agar for 3 days. Strain MAH-6 T grew at 15-35 °C, at pH 5.0-7.0 and with 0-0.5 % NaCl. Cell growth occurred on nutrient agar and Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar. The strain was positive for both catalase and oxidase tests. Cells were able to hydrolyse starch, aesculin, Tween 20 and Tween 80. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, the isolate was identified as a member of the genus Sphingomonas and was most closely related to Sphingomonas polyaromaticivorans B2-7 T (98.2 % sequence similarity), Sphingomonas oligoaromativorans SY-6 T (96.9 %) and Sphingomonas morindae NBD5 T (96.6 %). The novel strain MAH-6 T has a draft genome size of 4 370 740 bp (28 contigs), annotated with 4199 protein-coding genes, 46 tRNA and three rRNA genes. The genomic DNA G+C content of the strain was determined to be 66.2 mol% and the predominant isoprenoid quinone is Q-10. The major fatty acids were identified as summed feature 8 (comprising C 18 : 1   ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1   ω6 c ), C 14 : 0 2OH and C 16 : 0 . The main polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. Based on the results of phenotypic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic and DNA-DNA hybridization studies, strain MAH-6 T represents a novel species, for which the name Sphingomonas chungangi sp. nov. is proposed, with MAH-6 T as the type strain (=KACC 19292 T =CGMCC1.13654 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, chitin-degrading, motile bacterial strain with a single polar flagellum, designated XS-10 T , was isolated from saline soil sampled from the rhizosphere of Suaeda salsa , Tumd Right Banner, Inner Mongolia, PR China. Strain XS-10 T grew at 10-40 °C (optimum, 35 °C), pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0) and 0-12.5% NaCl (optimum 2.0 %). The phylogenetic analysis based on both the 16S rRNA gene and the phylogenomic tree revealed that strain XS-10 T formed a clade with Sphingomonas turrisvirgatae MCT13 T and Sphingomonas koreensis JSS-26 T , sharing 98.4 and 97.5 % 16S rRNA gene similarities to S. koreensis JSS-26 T and S. turrisvirgatae MCT13 T , respectively. Spermidine and Q-10 were the major polyamine and the major respiratory quinone, respectively. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipid, two unidentified lipids and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 18 : 1   ω6 c ), C 16 : 0 and C 17 : 1   ω6 c . The genome of strain XS-10 T consisted of a 4 154 291 bp chromosome with a DNA G+C content of 65.5 mol%. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain XS-10 T with S. turrisvirgatae MCT13 T and S. koreensis JSS-26 T were 77.8 and 78.6 %, 75.9 and 76.3 %, and 22.0 and 22.9 %, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic, and genotypic characteristics, strain XS-10 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas suaedae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XS-10 T (=CGMCC 1.17078 T =JCM 33850 T ).

A soil bacterium, designated ZX9611 T , was isolated from Taihang Mountain in Henan province, PR China. The strain was Gram-stain-negative and strictly aerobic. The cells were motile, rod-shaped and formed light pink-colored colonies. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of ZX9611 T shared the highest similarities with those of Sphingomonas crocodyli CCP-7 T (97.0%), Sphingomonas jatrophae S5-249 T (96.6%) and Sphingomonas starnbergensis 382 T (95.9%). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that ZX9611 T clustered with S. crocodyli CCP-7 T , S. jatrophae S5-249 T and S. starnbergensis 382 T . The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between ZX9611 T and two type strains ( S. crocodyli BCRC 81096 T and S. jatrophae DSM 27345 T ) were 88.3 and 68.6% respectively. ZX9611 T exhibited genome-sequence-based digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of 53.3 % and 15.3 %, compared with S. crocodyli BCRC 81096 T and S . jatrophae DSM 27345 T , respectively. ZX9611 T had a genome size of 4.12 Mb and an average DNA G+C content of 64.8 %. ZX9611 T had major fatty acids (>5 %) including summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1   ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1   ω6 c ), C 14 : 0 2-OH, C 16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1   ω7 c and/or C 16 : 1   ω6 c ), and the major polyamine was sym-homospermidine. The only respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and sphingoglycolipid. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain ZX9611 T represents a novel species of genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas montanisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZX9611 T (=KCTC 72622 T =CCTCC AB 2019350 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, short rod-shaped, yellow bacterium (strain LMO-1 T ) was isolated from deep-sea sediment of the Mariana Trench, Challenger Deep. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain LMO-1 T belonged to genus Sphingomonas , with the highest sequence similarity to Sphingomonas formosensis CC-Nfb-2 T (96.3 %), followed by Sphingomonas prati W18RD T (96.1 %), Sphingomonas arantia 6P T (96.0 %) and Sphingomonas montana W16RD T (95.9 %). The predominant polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. The main cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1  ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1  ω6 c ), C 16 : 0 and C 14 : 0 2-OH. The major polyamine was sym -homospermidine and the predominant isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-10. The genome DNA G+C content of strain LMO-1 T was 69.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain LMO-1 T and CC-Nfb-2 T were 75.9 and 20.5 %, respectively. Based on these data, LMO-1 T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas profundi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LMO-1 T (=MCCC 1K04066 T =JCM 33666 T ).

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria play vital roles not only in plant growth, but also in reducing biotic/abiotic stress. Sphingomonas panacis DCY99 T is isolated from soil and root of Panax ginseng with rusty root disease, characterized by raised reddish-brown root and this is seriously affects ginseng cultivation. To investigate the relationship between 159 sequenced Sphingomonas strains, pan-genome analysis was carried out, which suggested genomic diversity of the Sphingomonas genus. Comparative analysis of S. panacis DCY99 T with Sphingomonas sp. LK11 revealed plant growth-promoting potential of S. panacis DCY99 T through indole acetic acid production, phosphate solubilizing, and antifungal abilities. Detailed genomic analysis has shown that S. panacis DCY99 T contain various heavy metals resistance genes in its genome and the plasmid. Functional analysis with Sphingomonas paucimobilis EPA505 predicted that S. panacis DCY99 T possess genes for degradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbon and phenolic compounds in rusty-ginseng root. Interestingly, when primed ginseng with S . panacis DCY99 T during high concentration of iron exposure, iron stress of ginseng was suppressed. In order to detect S. panacis DCY99 T in soil, biomarker was designed using spt gene. This study brings new insights into the role of S . panacis DCY99 T as a microbial inoculant to protect ginseng plants against rusty root disease.

Solar panel surfaces, although subjected to a range of extreme environmental conditions, are inhabited by a diverse microbial community adapted to solar radiation, desiccation and temperature fluctuations. This is the first time a new bacterial species has been isolated from this environment. Strain R4DWN T belongs to the genus Sphingomonas and was isolated from a solar panel surface in Boston, MA, USA. Strain R4DWN T is a Gram-negative, non-motile and rod-shaped bacteria that tested positive for oxidase and catalase and forms round-shaped, shiny and orange-coloured colonies. It is mesophilic, neutrophilic and non-halophilic, and presents a more stenotrophic metabolism than its closest neighbours. The major fatty acids in this strain are C 18:1 ω7 c /C 18:1 ω6 c , C 16:1 ω7 c /C 16:1 ω6 c , C 14:0 2OH and C 16:0 . Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the closest type strains to R4DWN T are Sphingomonas fennica , Sphingomonas formosensis , Sphingomonas prati , Sphingomonas montana and Sphingomonas oleivorans with 96.3, 96.1, 96.0, 95.9 and 95.7 % pairwise similarity, respectively. The genomic G+C content of R4DWN T is 67.9 mol%. Based on these characteristics, strain R4DWN T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas for which the name Sphingomonas solaris sp. nov. is proposed with the type strain R4DWN T (=CECT 9811 T =LMG 31344 T ).

One Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile bacterial strain, 3-7 T , was isolated from symptomatic canker bark tissue of Populus × euramericana . 16S rRNA gene sequence data revealed that the novel isolate shared highest similarity with Sphingomonas panacis DCY99 T (98.8 %), and <96.5 % sequence similarity with all other species with validly published names. Growth occurred between 15 and 37 °C and at pH 6.0-9.0, and optimal growth occurred at 30 °C and pH 7.0-8.0. Nitrogen was produced from nitrates. The strain was positive for acetoin production and activity of catalase, oxidase, β -galactosidase, arginine dihydrolase and β -glucosidase. The major fatty acids were C 16 : 0 , C 18 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1 ω6 c . The polar lipids of the novel isolate included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, glycolipid, two uncharacterized phospholipids and two uncharacterized lipids. The respiratory quinones detected in isolate 3-7 T were Q-10 (96.9 %) and Q-9 (3.1 %). The DNA G+C content was 65.1 mol%. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, the isolate represents a novel species within the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas populi is proposed. The type strain is 3-7 T (=CFCC 11561 T =LMG 30138 T ).

A yellow-coloured, Gram-negative, motile, strictly aerobic bacterial strain, designated strain DAC4 T , was isolated from a soil sample collected at Ahnmok Beach (Busan, Republic of Korea). The cells of strain DAC4 T were rod-shaped and the colonies that formed were round and convex. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain DAC4 T revealed that the bacterium belongs to the genus Sphingomonas , family Sphingomonadaceae , and that it was most closely related to Sphingomonas jaspsi DSM 18422 T (98.01 %), Sphingomonas rhizophila KACC 19189 T (97.76 %), Sphingomonas mesophila KCTC 62179 T (97.30 %), Sphingomonas sedimincola KCTC 12629 T (97.16 %) and Sphingomonas oryziterrae KCTC 22476 T (97.05 %). The major respiratory quinone was Q-10, and the major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C 18  :  1 ω7 c ) and summed feature 3 (C 16  :  1 ω7 c /C 16  :  1 ω6 c ). The whole genome DNA G+C content of strain DAC4 T was 62.16 mol%. Phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, sphingoglycolipids, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, four undefined glycolipids and an undefined lipid were detected in strain DAC4 T , and the strain had sym-homospermidine as a major polyamine. The in silico DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain DAC4 T and the closely related taxa S. jaspsi and S. mesophila were 75.5/23.5 % and 73.5 /18.5%, respectively. The fluorimetric DNA-DNA hybridization results showed that strain DAC4 T and S. rhizophila , S. sediminicola and S. oryziterrae have 37.1, 35.2 and 32.2 % DNA similarity, respectively. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic distinctiveness, strain DAC4 T (=KCTC 62107 T =JCM 32377 T ) is classified as a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas edaphi sp. nov. is proposed.

Strain YZ-8 T , isolated from soil sampled at Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica, was found to be a Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented, oxidase- and catalase-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped and aerobic bacterium. Strain YZ-8 T grewoptimally at pH 7.0 and 20 °C. Tolerance to NaCl was up to 0.3 % (w/v) with optimum growth in the absence of NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YZ-8 T belonged to the family Sphingomonas . Strain YZ-8 T showed the highest sequence similarities to Sphingomonas molluscorum KMM 3882 T (94.4 %), Sphingomonas oligophenolica JCM 12082 T (94.4 %), Sphingomonas gotjawalisoli SN6-9 T (94.3 %) and Sphingomonas aquatica W1-2-1 T (94.3 %). The predominant respiratory isoprenoid quinone and polyamine components were identified as ubiquinone Q-10 and sym -homospermidine, respectively. In addition, carotenoid were also found. The polar lipid profile of the strain YZ-8 T was found to contain one phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified phospholipid, one diphosphatidylglycerol, one phosphatidylglycerol, two sphingophosphonolipids, one phosphatidylcholine and two unidentified alkali-stable lipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 58.8 mol%. The main fatty acids were summed feature 8 (comprising C 18 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1 ω6 c ; 35.4 %), summed feature 3 (comprising C 16 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 16 : 1 ω6 c ; 32.6 %) and C 14 : 0 2-OH (7.7 %). On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , Sphingomonaspaeninsulae sp. nov., is proposed, with the type strain YZ-8 T (=CCTCC AB 2017137 T =LMG 31027 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, yellow, rod-shaped bacterium, designated ZDH117 T , was isolated from soilsampled atthe Danxialandformin Guangdong Province, PR China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain ZDH117 T had highest similarityvalues to Sphingomonas adhaesiva DSM 7418 T (97.5 %), Sphingomonasdesiccabilis CP1D T (97.3 %) and Sphingomonas ginsenosidimutans KACC 14949 T (97.2 %). However, phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that strain ZDH117 T clustered with Sphingomonas zeicaulis 541 T (96.17 %) and Sphingomonas sanxanigenens DSM 19645 T (95.95 %). The genomic average nucleotide identity values of ZDH117 T with S. adhaesiva DSM 7418 T , S. desiccabilis CP1D T and S. ginsenosidimutans KACC T T were 75.1, 75.2 and 75.0 %, respectively. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 67.6 mol%. Strain ZDH117 T was characterized to have ubiquinone-10 as the predominant respiratory quinone, sym-homospermidine as the major polyamine and summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1 ω6 c and/or C 18 : 1 ω7 c ), C 14 : 0 -2OH, C 16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 ω6 c and/or C 16 : 1 ω7 c ) as the major cellular fatty acids (>5 % of total). The predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, an unidentified phospholipid and three unidentified lipids. On the basis of its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain ZDH117 T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas gilva sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZDH117 T (=KCTC 62894 T =CCTCCAB 2018262 T ).

Strain HMF7854 T , isolated from a ginkgo tree, was an orange-pigmented, Gram-stain-negative, motile by means of a single flagellum, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium. The isolate grew optimally on Reasoner's 2A agar at 30 °C, pH 7.0-8.0 and 0 % NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain HMF7854 T belonged to the genus Sphingomonas and was most closely related to Sphingomonasagri HKS-06 T (96.8 % sequence similarity). The major fatty acids were C 17 : 1  ω6 c , summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1 ω6 c ), summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 16 : 1 ω6 c ) and C 16 : 0 . The predominant isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-10. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, two unidentified lipids and two unidentified glycolipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 68.4 mol%. Thus, based on its phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain HMF7854 T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonasginkgonis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is strain HMF7854 T (=KCTC 62461 T =NBRC 113337 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, single polar flagellum bacterium, WZY27 T , was isolated from rhizospheric soil of Araceae plants. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that this strain is closely related to Sphingomonas adhaesiva DSM 7418 T (97.2 % similarity), Sphingomonaskoreensis KCTC 2883 (97.1 %) and Sphingomonas ginsenosidimutans JCM 17074 T (97.0 %). The genomic average nucleotide identity values between strain WZY27 T and the above three strains were 75.3, 73.2 and 75.4 %, and the in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values were 19.1 , 20.1 and 20.9 %, respectively. The major fatty acids (>5 %) of strain WZY27 T were summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1 ω 7 c /C 18 : 1 ω 6 c ), C 16 : 0 , C 14 : 0 2-OH and C 18 : 1 ω 7 c 11-methyl. The predominant respiratory quinone and polyamine were ubiquinone Q-10 and homospermidine, respectively. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipids, glycolipids, phosphatidylcholine and sphingoglycolipid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 68.4 mol%. Based on the results of genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characterization, strain WZY27 T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas aracearum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WZY27 T (=KCTC 62523 T =CCTCC AB 2018056 T ).

A novel Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-spore-forming, motile with one polar flagellum and short rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain ZLT-5 T , was isolated from procymidone-contaminated soil sampled in Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China. Growth occurred at 26-37 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-1.5 % NaCl (0.5 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZLT-5 T belonged to the genus Sphingomonas , with the highest sequence similarity to Sphingomonas kyeonggiensis THG-DT81 T (96.6 %), followed by Sphingomonas dokdonensis DSM 21029 T (96.5 %) and Sphingomonas silvisoli RP18 T (96.3 %). The G+C content of strain ZLT-5 T was 68.0 mol% (draft genome sequence). The average nucleotide identity value of the draft genomes between strain ZLT-5 T and S. kyeonggiensis THG-DT81 T was 75.4 %. Strain ZLT-5 T contained ubiquinone-10 as the predominant isoprenoid quinone and sym -homospermidine as the major polyamine. The major polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphoaminolipid and sphingoglycolipid. The main cellular fatty acids (>10 % of the total fatty acids) of strain ZLT-5 T were C 17 : 1 ω6 c , summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 15 : 0 ISO 2-OH) and summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 18 : 1 ω6 c ). Based on phylogenetic analysis and physiological and biochemical characterization, strain ZLT-5 T is described as a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas , for which the name Sphingomonas flavalba sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZLT-5 T (=CCTCC AB 2018188 T =KCTC 62840 T ).

A novel slowly growing member of the genus Sphingomonas, designated 1PNM-20 T , was isolated from an abandoned lead-zinc mine in Meizhou, Guangdong Province, PR China. A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed to characterize the novel strain. Growth occurred on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar and peptone-yeast extract (PYE) agar, but not in liquid R2A or PYE media. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped and motile with a polar flagellum (monotrichous). 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison showed that it shared the highest similarity with Sphingomonas carriPR0302 T (97.2 %), followed by Sphingomonas spermidinifaciens 9NM-10 T (97.0 %), Sphingomonas floccifaciens FQM01 T (97.0 %) and other species of Sphingomonas (<97 %). Phylogenetic analyses clearly showed that strain 1PNM-20 T fell into the cluster of Sphingomonas, and was most closely related to S. carri. The draft genome sequence was 3.76 Mb in length with a DNA G+C content of 69.8 mol%. Major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and 11-methyl C18 : 1ω7c, with C14 : 0 2-OH as the main hydroxy fatty acid. Ubiquinone 10 (Q-10) was the predominant respiratory quinone, and sym-homospermidine was displayed as the major polyamine. The polar lipids were composed of sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified glycolipid. The phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic results supported the hypothesis that strain 1PNM-20 T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas lenta sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 1PNM-20 T (=GDMCC 1.660 T =DSM 27572 T ).

Strain CCP-7 T , isolated from a freshwater pond in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain CCP-7 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Sphingomonas. Strain CCP-7 T was most closely related to Sphingomonas starnbergensis 382 T and Sphingomonas naphthae DKC-5-1 T with 96.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Strain CCP-7 T showed 65.5-76.7 % average nucleotide identity and 20.2-22.5 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the strains of other related Sphingomonas species. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped and formed light orange-coloured colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 30 °C, pH 6 and in the absence of NaCl. The major fatty acid of strain CCP-7 T was C18 : 1ω7c. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, three uncharacterized sphingoglycolipids, two uncharacterized phospholipids and six uncharacterized lipids. The predominant polyamine was homospermidine. The only isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. Genomic DNA G+C content of strain CCP-7 T was 64.5 %. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain CCP-7 T should be classified in a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas crocodyli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CCP-7 T (=BCRC 81096 T =LMG 30311 T =KCTC 62190 T ).

Although fertilization plays an important role in determining the contents of soil dissolved organic matters or water-extractable organic matter (DOM, WEOM), knowledge regarding the dynamics, biodegradability, and microbial community shifts of WEOM in response to different fertilization treatments is very limited, particularly in rice-wheat cropping soil. Thus, in the present study, we performed biodegradation experiments using WEOM extracted from samples of soil that had been subjected to four different fertilization treatments: unfertilized control (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), 50% chemical fertilizer plus pig manure (PMCF), and 100% chemical fertilizer plus rice straw (SRCF). UV spectrum and fluorescence 3D excitation-emission matrix analyses applied to investigate the chemical composition of WEOM revealed that all examined WEOMs were derived from microbial activity and the dominant portion comprised humic acid-like compounds. After the incubation, 31.17, 31.63, 43.47, and 33.01% of soil WEOM from CK, CF, PMCF, and SRCF treatments, respectively, were biodegraded. PMCF- derived WEOM had the highest biodegradation rate. High-throughput sequencing analyses performed to determine the microbial community before and after the incubation indicated that Sphingomonas, Bacillus, and Flavisolibacter were the predominant bacterial genera in the original inoculum derived from the four fertilization treatments. Following biodegradation, we observed that the dominant bacteria differed according to fertilization treatments: Curvibacter (43.25%) and Sphingobium (10.47%) for CK, Curvibacter (29.68%) and Caulobacter (20.00%) for CF, Azospirillum (23.68%) and Caulobacter (13.29%) for PMCF, and Ralstonia (51.75%) for SRCF. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that, shifts in the microbial community were closely correlated with pH and specific UV absorbance at 254 nm. We speculated that the inherent traits of different WEOM and the properties of soil solutions under different fertilization treatments shaped the soil microbial community structure, thereby influencing the biodegradation of WEOM., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-sporulating, rod-shaped, orange-pigmented bacterium, designated strain FQM01 T , was isolated from a subterranean sediment sample in the Mohe permafrost area, China. Strain FQM01 T grew optimally at 25 °C, pH 7.0 and NaCl concentration of 0 % (w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain FQM01 T belonged to the genus Sphingomonas. The closest phylogenetic relative was Sphingomonas spermidinifaciens GDMCC 1.657 T (97.6 %), followed by Sphingomonas mucosissima DSM 17494 T (97.2 %). The DNA G+C content of the isolate was 66.9 mol%. Strain FQM01 T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone, and C18 : 1ω6c and/or C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0, C14 : 0 2-OH and C18 : 1ω7c 11 methyl as the major fatty acids. Major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid and an unidentified glycolipid. Only sym-homospermidine was detected as the polyamine. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic data, strain FQM01 T is considered to represent a novel species of Sphingomonas for which the name Sphingomonasfloccifaciens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FQM01 T (=CGMCC 1.15797 T =KCTC 52630 T ).

A Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile strain, SYSUP0001 T , was isolated from tubers of Gastrodia elata Blume. The 16S rRNA gene sequence result indicated that SYSUP0001 T represents a member of the genus Sphingomonas, with the highest sequence similarity (97.7 %) to the type strain of Sphingomonasginsengisoli. SYSUP0001 T grew at 14-37 °C and pH 6-8, with optimum growth at 28 °C and pH 7. Tolerance to NaCl was up to 3 % (w/v) with optimum growth in the absence of NaCl. The respiratory quinone was Q-10. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, Summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c), and C16 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), sphingoglycolipid (SGL), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and four unidentified polar lipids (L). The DNA G+C content was 67.5 %. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between SYSUP0001 T and closely related members of the genus Sphingomonas were below the cut-off level (95-96 %) for species delineation. On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characterizations, SYSUP0001 T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonasmesophila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSUP0001 T (=KCTC 62179 T =CGMCC 1.16462 T ).

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been characterized as contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) that often resist biodegradation and impose toxicity upon environmental release. Sphingomonas sp. MKIV has been isolated as an extreme microorganism capable for biodegradation of major classes of ILs. Six imidazolium-, pyridinium- and ammonium-based ILs (pyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonate [Py][CF 3 SO 3 ], 1-(4-pyridyl)pyridinium chloride [1-4PPy][Cl], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [BMIM][Br], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate [BMIM][MeSO 4 ], tetrabutylammonium iodide [n-Bu 4 N][I] and tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate [n-Bu 4 N][PF 6 ]) were used for microbial growth. The strain achieved 91% and 87% removal efficiency for cultures supplemented with 100 mg L -1 of [BMIM][MeSO 4 ] and [n-Bu 4 N][I] respectively. The metabolic activity of MKIV was inhibited following preliminary stages of cultures conducted using [BMIM][MeSO 4 ], [BMIM][Br], [Py][CF 3 SO 3 ] and [n-Bu 4 N][PF 6 ], indicating potential accumulation of inhibitory metabolites. Thus, a comprehensive toxicological study of the six ILs on Aliivibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna and Raphidocelis subcapitata was conducted demonstrating that the compounds impose moderate and low toxicity. The end-products from [BMIM][MeSO 4 ] and [n-Bu 4 N][I] biodegradation were assessed using Aliivibrio fischeri, exhibiting increased environmental impact of the latter following biotreatment. MKIV produced 19.29 g L -1 of biopolymer, comprising mainly glucose and galacturonic acid, from 25 g L -1 of glucose indicating high industrial significance for bioremediation and exopolysaccharide production., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Understanding microbial interactions in engineering bioprocesses is important to enhance and optimize performance outcomes and requires dissection of the multi-layer complexities of microbial communities. However, unraveling microbial interactions as well as substrates involved in complex microbial communities is a challenging task. Here, we demonstrate an integrated approach of metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and targeted metabolite analysis to identify the substrates involved in interspecies interactions from a potential cross-feeding model community-bisphenol A (BPA)-biodegrading community, aiming to establish an identification method of microbial interactions in engineering or environmental bioprocesses., Results: The community-level BPA-metabolic pathway was constructed using integrated metagenomics and targeted metabolite analyses. The dynamics of active functions and metabolism of major community members were identified using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses in concert. Correlating the community BPA biodegradation performance to the individual bacterial activities enabled the discovery of substrates involved in a synergistic interaction of cross-feeding between BPA-degrading Sphingonomas species and intermediate users, Pseudomonas sp. and Pusillimonas sp. This proposed synergistic interaction was confirmed by the co-culture of a Sphingonomas sp. and Pseudomonas sp. isolates, which demonstrated enhanced BPA biodegradation compared to the isolate of Sphingonomas sp. alone., Conclusion: The three types of integrated meta-omics analyses effectively revealed the metabolic capability at both community-wide and individual bacterial levels. The correlation between these two levels revealed the hidden connection between apparent overall community performance and the contributions of individual community members and their interactions in a BPA-degrading microbial community. In addition, we demonstrated that using integrated multi-omics in conjunction with culture-based confirmation approach is effective to elucidate the microbial interactions affecting the performance outcome. We foresee this approach would contribute the future application and operation of environmental bioprocesses on a knowledge-based control.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, designated as strain GL-C-18 T , was isolated from soil sample collected at Mu Us Sandy Land, China, and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Growth was observed in the presence of 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and 20-37 °C. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain GL-C-18 T belonged to the family Sphingomonadaceae and was most closely related to Sphingosinicella vermicomposti YC7378 T (95.7 %), Sphingomonas oligophenolica S213 T (95.0 %) and Sphingobium boeckii 301 T (94.8 %). The draft genome of strain GL-C-18 T was 6.09 Mb, and the G+C content was 66.0 %. The average nucleotide identity value to Sphingosinicella vermicomposti YC7378 T was 83.7 %. The predominant respiratory quinone was Q-10. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16:0 and C14 : 0 2OH. The main polar lipids were sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. On the basis of chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, strain GL-C-18 T represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonasdeserti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GL-C-18 T (=ACCC 60076 T =KCTC 62411 T ).

Sphingomonas paucimobilis is a rare, aerobic Gram-negative soil bacillus rarely associated with intraocular infections. With only 3 cases of ophthalmic manifestations reported so far, we are presenting the fi rst case of S. Paucimobilis, causing keratitisafter cataract surgery, from India. The organism, which was resistant to initial medical treatment, eventually responded to a patch graft and the patient improved to a final visual acuity of 20/40., (© NEPjOPH.)