A bacterial isolate was recovered from a soil sample collected in Jeollabuk-do Province, South Korea, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic assessment. Cells of the isolate, designated strain S1-2-1-2-1T, were observed to be rod-shaped, pink in color, and Gram-stain negative. The strain was able to grow at temperature range from 10 to 30 °C, with an optimum of 25 °C, and growth occurred at pH 6-8. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain S1-2-1-2-1T belongs to the genus Hymenobacter, with closely related type strains being Hymenobacter daeguensis 16F3Y-2T (95.8% similarity), Hymenobacter rubidus DG7BT (95.8%), Hymenobacter soli PBT (95.7%), Hymenobacter terrenus MIMtkLc17T (95.6%), Hymenobacter terrae DG7AT (95.3%), and Hymenobacter saemangeumensis GSR0100T (95.2%). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain S1-2-1-2-1T was 63.0 mol%. The main polar lipid of this strain was phosphatidylethanolamine, the predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7, and the major fatty acids were C15:0 iso (27.3%), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c) (16.5%), C15:0 anteiso (15.3%), and C16:0 (14.7%), supporting the affiliation of this strain with the genus Hymenobacter. The results of this polyphasic analysis allowed for the genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain S1-2-1-2-1T from recognized Hymenobacter species. On the basis of its phenotypic properties, genotypic distinctiveness, and chemotaxonomic features, strain S1-2-1-2-1T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Hymenobacter, for which the name Hymenobacter agri sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S1-2-1-2-1T (=KCTC 52739T = JCM 32194T).
Keywords: Bacteroidetes; Hymenobacter; Soil bacteria.