Gordonia tangerina sp. nov., isolated from seawater

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic bacterium, designated GW1C4-4^T, was isolated from the seawater sample from the tidal zone of Guanyinshan Coast, Xiamen, Fujian Province, PR China. The strain was reddish-orange, rod-shaped and non-motile. Cells of strain GW1C4-4^T were oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. The strain could grow at 10-42 °C (optimum, 32-35 °C), pH 5-9 (optimum, pH 6) and with 0-10 % NaCl (w/v; optimum, 1 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequences indicated that strain GW1C4-4^T belonged to the genus Gordonia, having the highest similarity to Gordonia mangrovi HNM0687^T (98.5 %), followed by Gordonia bronchialis DSM 43247^T (98.4 %). The G+C DNA content was 66.5 mol %. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain GW1C4-4^T and G. mangrovi HNM0687^T were 85.8 and 30.0 %, respectively. The principal fatty acids of strain GW1C4-4^T were C_16 : 0, C_18 : 0 10-methyl (TBSA) and summed feature 3 (C_16 : 1  ω7c/C_16 : 1  ω6c). MK-9 (H₂) was the sole respiratory quinone. The polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified lipid. Based on its phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic characteristics, it is proposed that strain GW1C4-4^T represents a novel species within the genus Gordonia, for which the name Gordonia tangerina sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GW1C4-4^T (=MCCC 1A18727^T=KCTC 49729^T).

Gordonia zhenghanii sp. nov. and Gordonia liuliyuniae sp. nov., isolated from bat faeces

Four mesophilic actinobacteria (HY002T, HY442, HY366T and HY285) isolated from the faeces of bats collected in southern China were found to be strictly aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, oxidase-negative, Gram-stain-positive and catalase-positive. Strains HY002T and HY366T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and MK-9(H2) the sole respiratory quinone. Arabinose, galactose and ribose were detected in the whole-cell hydrolysates of both type strains. The main cellular fatty acids (> 10.0%) of all strains were C16 : 0, C18 : 1  ω9c, 10-methyl-C18 : 0 and summed feature 3. Strains HY002T and HY366T contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidyl inositol mannosides as the major polar lipids. The phylogenetic/phylogenomic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene and genomic sequence comparison revealed that the four strains belong to the genus Gordonia , most closely related to G. neofelifaecis NRRL B-59395T(98.2–98.3% sequence similarity) on the EzBioCloud database. The G+C contents of strains HY002T and HY366T based on genomic DNA were 66.5 and 66.9%, respectively. The DNA–DNA relatedness values between the two types strains and members of the genus Gordonia were far below 70 % (18.6–23.1 %). All genotypic and phenotypic data indicated that the four strains are representatives of two novel separate species, for which the names Gordonia zhenghanii sp. nov. and Gordonia liuliyuniae sp. nov. are proposed, with HY002T (=CGMCC 4 7757T=JCM 34 878T) and HY366T (=CGMCC 1 19146T=JCM 34 879T) as the respective type strains.

Gordonia jinghuaiqii sp. nov. and Gordonia zhaorongruii sp. nov., isolated from Tibetan Plateau wildlife

Four mesophilic and Gram-stain-positive strains (zg-686^T/zg-691 and HY186^T/HY189) isolated from Tibetan Plateau wildlife (PR China) belong to the genus Gordonia according to 16S rRNA gene and genomic sequence-based phylogenetic/genomic results. They have a DNA G+C content range of 67.4-68.3 mol% and low DNA relatedness (19.2-27.6 %) with all available genomes in the genus Gordonia. Strains zg-686^T/zg-691 and HY186^T/HY189 had C_18 : 1ω9c, C_18 : 0 10-methyl, C_16 : 1 ω7c/C_16 : 1ω6c and C_16 : 0 as major cellular fatty acids. The polar lipids detected in strains zg-686^T and HY186^T included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyl inositol mannoside and phosphatidylinositol. The respiratory quinones comprised MK8(H₂) (10.8 %) and MK9(H₂) (89.2 %) for strain zg-686^T, and MK6 (7.7 %), MK8(H₂) (8.4 %), MK8(H₄) (3.1 %) and MK9(H₂) (80.8 %) for strain HY186^T. Optimal growth conditions were pH 7.0, 35-37 °C and 0.5-1.5 % NaCl (w/v) for strains pair zg-686^T/zg-691, and pH 7.0, 28 °C and 1.5 % (w/v) NaCl for strains pair HY186^T/HY189. Based on these genotypic and phenotypic results, these four strains could be classified as two different novel species in the genus Gordonia, for which the names Gordonia jinghuaiqii sp. nov. and Gordonia zhaorongruii sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are zg-686^T (=GDMCC 1.1715^T =JCM 33890^T) and HY186^T (=CGMCC 4.7607^T =JCM 33466^T), respectively.

Gordonia crocea sp. nov. and Gordonia spumicola sp. nov. isolated from sludge of a wastewater treatment plant

Two novel actinobacteria, designated NBRC 107696^T and NBRC 107697^T, were isolated from sludge samples from a wastewater treatment plant and their taxonomic positions were investigated by a polyphasic approach. The cells of the strains were aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile and non-endospore-forming. The strains contained glutamic acid, alanine and meso-diaminopimelic acid in the peptidoglycan. Galactose and arabinose were detected as cell-wall sugars. The predominant menaquinone was identified as MK-9(H₂) and the major fatty acids were C_{16  :  0}, C_18 : 1ω9c and C_16 : 1ω7c. The DNA G+C contents of NBRC 107696^T and NBRC 107697^T were 68.07 and 68.99 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that NBRC 107696^T and NBRC 107697^T were a clade with members of the genus Gordonia. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values were obtained with Gordonia araii IFM 10211^T (98.9 %) for NBRC 107697^T, and Gordonia malaquae IMMIB WWCC-22^T, Gordonia neofelifaecis AD-6^T and Gordonia humi CC-12301^T (98.1 %) for NBRC 107696^T, respectively. The digital DNA-DNA relatedness data coupled with the combination of genotypic and phenotypic data indicated that the two strains are representatives of two novel separate species. The names proposed to accommodate these two strains are Gordonia spumicola sp. nov. and Gordonia crocea sp. nov., and the type strains are NBRC 107696^T (=IFM 10067^T=TBRC 11239^T) and NBRC 107697^T (=IFM 10881^T=TBRC 11240^T), respectively.

Gordonia mangrovi sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from mangrove soil in Hainan

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain HNM0687^T, was isolated from mangrove soil samples collected from Hainan Province, PR China and its polyphasic taxonomy was studied. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain HNM0687^T was closely related to Gordonia bronchialis NBRC 16047^T (98.7 %), Gordonia rhizosphera NBRC 16068^T (98.2 %), Gordonia oryzae RS15-1S^T (97.9 %), Gordonia polyisoprenivorans NBRC 16320^T (97.7 %) and Gordonia sediminis AMA 120^T (97.7 %). Genome-based comparisons revealed a clear distinction in average nucleotide identity values between strain HNM0687^T and its closely related strains (74.4-78.3 %). Strain HNM0687^T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose and galactose in whole-cell hydrolysates. Mycolic acid was present. The menaquinones of strain HNM0687^T were MK-9(H₂) and MK-7(H₂). The phospholipids of the isolate were composed of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol. The major fatty acids were C_16 : 0, C_16 : 1  ω7c/C_16 : 1  ω6c, C_18 : 010-methyl (TBSA), C_18 : 0 and C_18 : 1  ω9c. Based on its genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characteristics, it is concluded that strain HNM0687^T represents a novel species of the genus Gordonia for which the name Gordonia mangrovi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HNM0687^T (=CCTCC AA 2019074 ^T=KCTC 49383 ^T).

Gordonia hongkongensis sp. nov., isolated from blood culture and peritoneal dialysis effluent of patients in Hong Kong

Two bacterial strains, HKU50T and HKU46, were isolated in Hong Kong from the blood culture and the peritoneal dialysis effluent of two patients. The strains are Gram-stain-positive, acid-fast, non-motile, non-sporulating bacilli. They grow on Columbia agar with 5 % defibrinated sheep blood and brain-heart infusion agar under aerobic conditions with 5 % CO2 at 37 °C as pink-to-orange, non-haemolytic colonies. The strains are catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, and have a unique biochemical profile distinguishable from other closely related species. DNA sequencing revealed that both isolates possessed multiple intra-genomic 16S rRNA gene copies (99.8-100 % sequence identities to Gordonia lacunae NRRL B-24551T and Gordonia terrae NRRL B-16283T). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, secA1 and gyrB showed that the two isolates formed a distinct branch within the genus Gordonia and were most closely related to G. lacunae and G. terrae. DNA-DNA hybridization demonstrated ≤53.7 % and ≤49.4 % DNA relatedness between the two isolates and G. lacunae, and between the two isolates and G. terrae, respectively. Hierarchical cluster analysis of MALDI-TOF MS main spectrum profiles showed that strains HKU50T and HKU46 were closely related to each other, but were distinct from G. lacunae, G. terrae, or any other species of the genus Gordonia in the Bruker database. The chemotaxonomic traits of the two strains were highly similar, and the major fatty acids were summed feature 4 (iso-C15 : 0 2-OH/C16 : 1trans-9), C16 : 0, C18 : 1cis-9, and tuberculostearic acid. A novel species named Gordonia hongkongensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate strains HKU50T and HKU46, with strain HKU50T (=CCOS 955T=CIP 111027T=NBRC 111234T=NCCP 16210T) as the type strain.

Gordonia iterans sp. nov., isolated from a patient with pneumonia

A second novel clinical actinobacterial strain, designated IFM 10348T, was isolated from the sputum of the same Japanese patient with bacterial pneumonia from whom the type strain of Gordonia araii had been isolated. The strains differed in phylogenetic position and drug-resistance profiles. The taxonomic position of strain IFM 10348T was clarified by phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic studies. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences clearly demonstrated that strain IFM 10348T occupied a distinct clade within the genus Gordonia and was related closely to Gordonia malaquae DSM 45064T and Gordonia hirsuta DSM 44140T (97.3 and 97.1 % similarities, respectively). Strain IFM 10348T was also clearly differentiated from G. malaquae DSM 45064T and G. hirsuta DSM 44140T based on gyrB and secA1 gene sequence similarity values. Strain IFM 10348T had MK-9(H2) as the predominant menaquonine, contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose, galactose and glucosamine as cell-wall components, and contained C18 : 1ω9c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0 as the major cellular fatty acids. Mycolic acids were present. The DNA G+C content of strain IFM 10348T was 68.0 mol%. DNA–DNA relatedness data coupled with the combination of genotypic and phenotypic data indicated that strain IFM 10348T represents a novel species of the genus Gordonia , for which the name Gordonia iterans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IFM 10348T ( = CCTCC M2011245T = NCCB 100436T).

Gordonia alkaliphila sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from tidal flat sediment

A Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, aerobic actinobacterium, designated strain CJ10T, was isolated from tidal flat sediment from the Yellow Sea in South Korea. Strain CJ10T grew on tryptic soy agar in the presence of 0–4 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum growth in the absence of NaCl) and at pH 6–11 (optimum pH 9). On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain CJ10T belonged to the genus Gordonia and showed the highest sequence similarity to Gordonia hirsuta DSM 44140T (97.9 %) and Gordonia hydrophobica DSM 44015T (97.6 %). DNA–DNA relatedness levels of strain CJ10T were 47.4 % (CJ10T as probe) and 42.2 % ( G. hirsuta DSM 44140T as probe) to G. hirsuta DSM 44140T and 8.6 % (CJ10T as probe) and 9.3 % ( G. hydrophobica DSM 44015T as probe) to G. hydrophobica DSM 44015T. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-9(H2). The polar lipid profile of strain CJ10T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1ω9c (38.0 %), C16 : 0 (30.1 %) and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c; 17.4 %). The DNA G+C content was 67.7 mol%. Therefore, the results from our polyphasic taxonomic study suggest that strain CJ10T represents a novel species in the genus Gordonia , for which the name Gordonia alkaliphila sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is CJ10T ( = KACC 16561T  = JCM 18077T).

Gordonia phosphorivorans sp. nov., isolated from a wastewater bioreactor with phosphorus removal

Two Gram-stain-positive, non-endospore-forming actinobacteria (Ca8Tand Ca14) were isolated from a bioreactor with extensive phosphorus removal. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity comparisons, strains Ca8T and Ca14 were shown to belong to the genus Gordonia and were most closely related to Gordonia hirsuta DSM 44140T (98.0 % sequence similarity) and Gordonia hydrophobica DSM 44015T (97.2 %). In comparison with the sequences of the type strains of all other species of the genus Gordonia tested, similarities were below 97 %. The quinone systems of the strains were determined to consist predominantly of MK-9H2. The polar lipid profile for both organisms consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phospatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. Whole-organism hydrolysates contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diamino acid of the peptidoglycan; mycolic acids were detected as well. These chemotaxonomic traits and the major fatty acids, which were C16 : 1 cis-9, C16 : 0 and C18 : 1 and tuberculostearic acid strongly supported the grouping of strains Ca8T and Ca14 into the genus Gordonia . The two strains showed a DNA–DNA similarity of 96 %. DNA–DNA hybridizations of strain Ca8T with G. hirsuta DSM 44140T and G. hydrophobica DSM 44015T resulted in values of 26.3 and 25.0 %, respectively. These results and those of the physiological and biochemical tests allowed a clear phenotypic differentiation of strains Ca8T and Ca14 from the most closely related species of the genus Gordonia . It is concluded that strains Ca8T and Ca14 represent a novel species, for which the name Gordonia phosphorivorans sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain Ca8T ( = DSM 45630T = CCUG 61533T = CCM 7957T = LMG 26648T).

The strengths and weaknesses of Gordonia: a review of an emerging genus with increasing biotechnological potential

This review about the genus Gordonia provides a current overview of recent research on a young genus that was introduced in the year 1997 ( Stackebrandt et al., 1997 ). This emerging genus has attracted increasing environmental, industrial, biotechnological and medical interest during the last few years, in particular due to the capabilities of its members to degrade, transform, and synthesize organic compounds as well as to the pathogenic effects that have been described in many case studies. The number of publications about Gordonia has increased significantly after the year 2004 (the year of the first Gordonia review published by Arenskötter et al.) describing 13 new validly published species (type strains), many newly described physiological and metabolic capabilities, new patent applications and many new case reports of bacterial infections. Members of the genus Gordonia are widely distributed in nature and it is therefore important to unravel the species richness and metabolic potential of gordoniae in future studies to demonstrate their environmental impact especially on the degradation of persistent organic compounds and their ecological participation in the carbon cycle of organic material in soil and water. This review summarizes mainly the current state of importance and potential of the members of this genus for the environmental and biotechnological industry ("the strengthsâ) and briefly its pathogenic impact to humans ("the weaknessesâ).