Alkaliphilus serpentinus sp. nov. and Alkaliphilus pronyensis sp. nov., two novel anaerobic alkaliphilic species isolated from the serpentinite-hosted Prony Bay Hydrothermal Field (New Caledonia)

Syst Appl Microbiol. 2021 Apr;44(2):126175. doi: 10.1016/j.syapm.2020.126175. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Abstract

Two novel anaerobic alkaliphilic strains, designated as LacTT and LacVT, were isolated from the Prony Bay Hydrothermal Field (PBHF, New Caledonia). Cells were motile, Gram-positive, terminal endospore-forming rods, displaying a straight to curved morphology during the exponential phase. Strains LacTT and LacVT were mesophilic (optimum 30°C), moderately alkaliphilic (optimum pH 8.2 and 8.7, respectively) and halotolerant (optimum 2% and 2.5% NaCl, respectively). Both strains were able to ferment yeast extract, peptone and casamino acids, but only strain LacTT could use sugars (glucose, maltose and sucrose). Both strains disproportionated crotonate into acetate and butyrate. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that strains LacTT and LacVT shared 96.4% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity and were most closely related to A. peptidifermentans Z-7036, A. namsaraevii X-07-2 and A. hydrothermalis FatMR1 (95.7%-96.3%). Their genome size was of 3.29Mb for strain LacTT and 3.06Mb for strain LacVT with a G+C content of 36.0 and 33.9mol%, respectively. The ANI value between both strains was 73.2 %. Finally, strains LacTT (=DSM 100337=JCM 30643) and LacVT (=DSM 100017=JCM 30644) are proposed as two novel species of the genus Alkaliphilus, order Clostridiales, phylum Firmicutes, Alkaliphilus serpentinus sp. nov. and Alkaliphilus pronyensis sp. nov., respectively. The genomes of the three Alkaliphilus species isolated from PBHF were consistently detected in the PBHF chimney metagenomes, although at very low abundance, but not significantly in the metagenomes of other serpentinizing systems (marine or terrestrial) worldwide, suggesting they represent indigenous members of the PBHF microbial ecosystem.

Keywords: Alkaliphilus; Anaerobic; Firmicutes; Hydrothermal vents; New Caledonia; Serpentinization.

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Base Composition
  • Bays*
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Ecosystem
  • Gram-Positive Endospore-Forming Rods / classification*
  • Gram-Positive Endospore-Forming Rods / isolation & purification
  • New Caledonia
  • Phylogeny*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S