An actinobacterial strain, designated YC3-6T, was isolated from a larva cave in Jeju, Republic of Korea. The novel isolate was found to grow at 10-30 °C, pH 5.0-10.0 and 0-4% (w/v) NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny showed that the novel isolate formed a distinct subline within the family Nocardiaceae. Levels of 16S rRNA gene similarity indicated that the close relatives are Rhodococcus cavernicola (98.4% sequence similarity) and "Rhodococcus psychrotolerans" (98.2%) followed by Antrihabitans stalactiti (96.8%). However, the core gene-based phylogeny revealed that the novel isolate formed a tight cluster with A. stalactiti and was separated from R. cavernicola and other members of the family Nocardiaceae. The morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain YC3-6T are in line with those of the genus Antrihabitans. Strain YC3-6T showed an average nucleotide identity of 75.5% and a digital DDH of 20.3% with A. stalactiti. In addition, the core gene analysis showed that R. cavernicola formed a distinct subline between an Antrihabitans cluster and Aldersonia kunmingensis, and well separated from members of the genus Rhodococcus. The average amino acid identity values of R. cavernicola to closely related neighbours were 69.3-69.4% with members of the genus Antrihabitans and 67.3% with Ald. kunmingensis, while the POCP values ranged from 56.9 to 63.6%. On the basis of results obtained here, strain YC3-6T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Antrihabitans, for which the name Antrihabitans stalagmiti sp. nov. (type strain, YC3-6T = KACC 19963T = DSM 107561T) is proposed. Based on overall genome relatedness and chemotaxonomic differences, it is also proposed that R. cavernicola Lee et al. 2020 be transferred to a new genus Spelaeibacter as Spelaeibacter cavernicola gen. nov., comb. nov.
Keywords: Antrihabitans stalagmiti; Cave; Spelaeibacter cavernicola; Stalagmite.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.