Three Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, circular, convex, red-colored and rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated BT439T, BT662T and BT683T were obtained from soil collected in South Korea. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains revealed a distinct lineage within the genus Hymenobacter. The complete genome sequence of strains BT439T, BT662T and BT683T is 5,542,738 bp, 5,964,541 bp, and 5,192,601 bp size, respectively. All three strains were found to have MK-7 as the major respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids of strains BT439T and BT662T were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipids and amino lipids. Strain BT683T contained phosphatidylethanolamine. The major cellular fatty acids of strain BT439T were iso-C15:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c/C16:1 ω7c) and anteiso-C15:0; strain BT662T possessed iso-C15:0 and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c/C16:1 ω7c); strain BT683T were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c/C16:1 ω7c), C16:1 ω5c, iso-C15:0 and anteiso-C15:0. Based on the polyphasic analysis, strains BT439T, BT662T and BT683T can be suggested as three novel bacterial species within the genus Hymenobacter and the proposed names are Hymenobacter properus sp. nov., Hymenobacter ruricola sp. nov. and Hymenobacter jeongseonensis sp. nov., respectively. The type strain of Hymenobacter properus is BT439T (= KCTC 72900T = NBRC 114849T), Hymenobacter ruricola is BT662T (= KACC 21966T = NBRC 114855T) and the type strain of Hymenobacter jeongseonensis is BT683T (= KACC 22013T = NBRC xxxxxT).
Keywords: Hymenobacter; Hymenobacteraceae; Novel species; Taxonomy.