Albibacter methylovorans gen. nov., sp nov., a novel aerobic, facultatively autotrophic and methylotrophic bacterium that utilizes dichloromethane

A novel genus, Albibacter, with one species, Albibacter methylovorans sp, n ov., is proposed for a facultatively chemolithotrophic and methylotrophic b acterium (strain DM10(T)) with the ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) pathway of C-1 assimilation. The bacterium is a Gram-negative, aerobic, asporogenous, nonmotile, colourless rod that multiplies by binary fission. The organism u tilizes dichloromethane, methanol, methylamine, formate and CO,IH,, as well as a variety of polycarbon compounds, as carbon and energy sources. It is neutrophilic and mesophilic. The major cellular fatty acids are straight-ch ain unsaturated C-18:1, saturated C-16:0, and cyclopropane C-19:0, acids. T he main ubiquinone is Q-10. The dominant phospholipids are phosphatidyl eth anolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl choline and cardiolipin. The DNA G+C content is 66.7 mol%. Strain DM10(T) has a very low degree of DNA- DNA hybridization (4-7 %) with the type species of the genera Paracoccus, X anthobacter, Blastobacter, Angulomicrobium, Ancylobacter and Ralstonia of R uBP pathway methylobacteria. Another approach, involving comparative 16S rD NA analysis, has shown that the novel isolate represents a separate branch within the alpha -2 subgroup of the Proteobacteria. The type species of the new genus is Albibacter methylovorans sp. nov.; the type strain is DM10(T) (= VKM B-2236(T) = DSM 138'19(T)).