Filobacillus milensis gen. nov., sp nov., a new halophilic spore-forming bacterium with Orn-D-Glu-type peptidoglycan

A spore-forming, halophilic bacterium was isolated from surface sediment lo cated on the beach of Palaeochori Bay near to a shallow water hydrothermal vent area, Miles, Greece. The bacterium, designated SH 714(T), consisted of motile, strictly aerobic rods which contained an Orn-D-Glu type murein and a G+C content of 35 mol%, Thin sections showed a cell wall typical for Gra mpositive bacteria; the peptidoglycan layer, however, was very thin. The Gr am-reaction of the organism was negative, Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequenc ing demonstrated that the isolate represents a new line of descent within t he spore-forming rods branching at the periphery of the rRNA group 1 Bacill us (Bacillus sensu stricto). The nearest phylogenetic neighbours of the unk nown bacterium were Bacillus haloalkaliphilus, Marinococcus albus and Halob acillus species. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence it is propos ed that the unknown bacterium be classified as Filobacillus milensis gen, n ov., sp, nov. The type strain is SH 714(T) (= DSM 13259(T) = ATCC 700960(T) ).