ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW FACULTATIVELY METHYLOTROPHIC BACTERIUM - DESCRIPTION OF METHYLORHABDUS-MULTIVORANS, GEN-NOV, SP-NOV

A new Gram-negative aerobic, asporogenous, nonmotile, colourless, facu ltatively methylotrophic bacterium with the serine pathway of C1 assim ilation is described. The organism (strain DM13) is a short rod multip lying by fission with the formation of a constriction connecting fresh ly divided cells. The G+C content of DNA is 66,2 mol %. The major cell ular fatty acids are cis-vaccenic, lactobacillic and palmitic acid. Th e major ubiquinone is Q-10. The bacterium utilizes dichloromethane, me thanol and methylamine as C1 sources of carbon and energy as well as a wide range of polycarbon compounds. It shows a low degree of DNA-DNA similarity (<10%) with representatives of the genera Pseudomonas, Meth ylobacterium, Methylomicrobium, Hyphomicrobium, and Aminobacter. Based on morphological, pheno- and genotypic distinctions, the isolate is p roposed to represent a new genus - Methylorhabdus with the type strain Methylorhabdus multivorans gen. nov., sp. nov. The characteristics of the new genus and species are presented.