A NEW FACULTATIVE METHYLOTROPH UTILIZING DICHLOROMETHANE

Strain DM13 of gram-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, nonmotile, c olorless bacteria was isolated and found to be able to utilize dichlor omethane, methanol, and methylamine via the serine pathway. Cell divis ion is asymmetric and involves the formation of an elongated constrict ion. Among the cellular fatty acids, cis-vaccenic, lactobacillic, and palmitic acids (c18 : 1 omega 7, Delta 19 : 0, and 16 : 0) predominate . The predominant phospholipids are phosphatidylethanol amine, phospha tidylglycerol, cardiolipin, and phosphatidylcholine. The major ubiquin one is Q(10) The DNA G+C content is 66.2 mol % (T-m). The level of DNA -DNA homology of strain DM13 with the type representatives of the gene ra Methylobacterium, Methylomicrobium, Aminobacter, Hyphomicrobium, an d Pseudomonas was below 10%. Based on its phenotypic and genotypic pec uliarities, the new isolate was assigned to a new genus and species, M ehtylorhabdus multivorans gen. nov. sp. nov. Descriptions of the new g enus and species are presented.