A new family, Alteromonadaceae fam. nov., including marine proteobacteria of the genera Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Idiomarina, and Colwellia

The taxonomic positions of the marine genera Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas , Idiomarina, and Colwellia within the gamma subclass of the class Proteoba cteria were specified on the basis of their phenotypic, genotypic, and phyl ogenetic characteristics. Gram-negative aerobic bacteria of the genera Alte romonas, Pseudoalteromonas, and Idiomarina and facultatively anaerobic bact eria of the genus Colwellia were found to form a phylogenetic cluster with a 16S rRNA sequence homology of 90% or higher. The characteristics of these genera presented in this paper allow their reliable taxonomic identificati on. Based on the analysis of our experimental data and analyses available i n the literature, we propose to combine the genera Alteromonas, Pseudoalter omonas, Idiomarina, and Colwellia into a new family, Alteromonadaceae fam. nov., with the type genus Alteromonas.