Friedmanniella spumicola sp nov and Friedmanniella capsulata sp nov from activated sludge foam: Gram-positive cocci that grow in aggregates of repeating groups of cocci

Two Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, strictly aerobic, pigment ed cocci, strains Ben 107(T) and Ben 108(T), growing in aggregates were iso lated from activated sludge samples by micromanipulation. Both possessed th e rare type A3 gamma' peptidoglycan. Major menaquinones of strain Ben 107(T ) were MK-9(H-4) and MK-7(H-2), and the main cellular fatty acid was 12-met hyltetradecanoic acid (ai-C-15:0). In strain Ben 108(T), MK-9(H-4), MK-9(H- 2) and MK-7(H-4) were the menaquinones and again the main fatty acid was 12 -methyltetradecanoic acid (ai-C-15:0). Polar lipids in both strains consist ed of phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl glycerol and diphosphatidyl glyce rol with two other unidentified glycolipids and phospholipids also present in both. These data, together with the 16S rDNA sequence data, suggest that strain Ben 107(T) belongs to the genus Friedmanniella which presently incl udes a single recently described species, Friedmanniella antarctica. Althou gh the taxonomic status of strain Ben 108(T) is far less certain, on the ba sis of its 16S rRNA sequence it is also adjudged to be best placed in the g enus Friedmanniella, The chemotaxonomic characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridi zation data support the view that Ben 107(T) and Ben 108(T) are novel speci es of the genus Friedmanniella. Hence, it is proposed that strain Ben 107(T ) (=ACM 5121(T)) is named as Friedmanniella spumicola sp. nov. and strain B en 108(T) (=ACM 5120(T)) as Friedmanniella capsulata sp. nov.