An aerobic, orange-pigmented, Gram-negative, coccoid bacterium, named CUG 00006(T), was isolated from the sediment of Gahai Lake, Qinghai Province, China. This organism was alkaline and grew optimally at pH 9 and 20 °C in the presence of 4 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain CUG 00006(T) contained Q-10 as the major isoprenoid quinone and C18:1ω7c as the main fatty acids. The DNA G + C content was 67.8 mol%. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CUG 00006(T) was phylogenetically related to members of the genus Paracoccus, with the similarities ranging from 93.5 to 97.9 %. In particular, strain CUG 00006(T) was closely related to P. marcusii DSM 11574(T) (97.7 %), P. haeundaensis KCCM 10460(T) (97.8 %), and P. carotinifaciens IFO 16121(T) (97.7 %). On the basis of phylogenetic, physiological, and biochemical characterization, strain CUG 00006(T) is described as a new species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus gahaiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain CUG 00006(T) (=CCTCC M 2014217(T) = KCTC 42687(T)).
Keywords: 16S rRNA gene; Bacteria; Paracoccus gahaiensis sp. nov..