NATRONOBACTERIUM-VACUOLATA SP-NOV, A HALOALKALIPHILIC ARCHAEON ISOLATED FROM LAKE MAGADI, KENYA

A novel haloalkaliphilic archaeon was isolated from Lake Magadi, a Ken yan alkaline soda lake. Cells of the organism contain large gas vacuol es in the stationary phase of growth, and colonies produced by these a rchaea are bright pink in appearance. The major polar lipids of these organisms are C20C20 and C20C25 derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol ph osphate and phosphatidylglycerol, and the organisms contain an unident ified phospholipid as a minor component. The G+C content of the DNA is 62.7 mol%. The name Natronobacterium vacuolata sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is designated NCIMB 13189.