Analyzing microbial community and volatile compound profiles in the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves

Variations in industrial fermentation techniques have a significant impact on the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves (CTLs), consequently influencing the aromatic attributes of the resulting cigars. The entire fermentation process of CTLs can be categorized into three distinct phases: phase 1 (CTLs prior to moisture regain), phase 2 (CTLs post-moisture regain and pile fermentation), and phase 3 (CTLs after fermentation and drying). These phases were determined based on the dynamic changes in microbial community diversity. During phase 2, there was a rapid increase in moisture and total acid content, which facilitated the proliferation of Aerococcus, a bacterial genus capable of utilizing reducing sugars, malic acid, and citric acid present in tobacco leaves. In contrast, fungal microorganisms exhibited a relatively stable response to changes in moisture and total acid, with Aspergillus, Alternaria, and Cladosporium being the dominant fungal groups throughout the fermentation stages. Bacterial genera were found to be more closely associated with variations in volatile compounds during fermentation compared to fungal microorganisms. This association ultimately resulted in higher levels of aroma components in CTLs, thereby improving the overall quality of the cigars. These findings reinforce the significance of industrial fermentation in shaping CTL quality and provide valuable insights for future efforts in the artificial regulation of secondary fermentation in CTLs. KEY POINTS: • Industrial fermentation processes impact CTLs microbial communities. • Moisture and total acid content influence microbial community succession in fermentation. • Bacterial microorganisms strongly influence CTLs' aldehyde and ketone flavors over fungi.

Effect of Environmental Microorganisms on Fermentation Microbial Community of Sauce-Flavor baijiu

The compositions of the microbial community in fermented grains of Sauce-flavor baijiu produced in different regions have diverse characteristics; however, the reasons for this remain unclear. The present study investigated the contributions of environmental microorganisms to the microbial community as well as the volatile compounds in the fermented grains of Sauce-flavor baijiu produced in the Beijing region using high-throughput sequencing combined with sourcetracker analysis, and compared the differences of environmental microorganism and their roles in the production process of Sauce-flavor baijiu from different regions.The results showed that the environmental microorganisms in the tools were the main contributors of the bacterial and fungal communities in fermented grains during heap fermentation and at the beginning of pit fermentation. At the end of pit fermentation, pit mud was the main environmental source of bacterial community in fermented grains, while tools and Daqu were the main environmental sources of fungal community in fermented grains.Environmental microorganisms thrived on the functional microorganisms in the fermented grains of Sauce-flavor baijiu produced in the Beijing region and thus shaped the profiles of volatile compounds. Environmental microorganisms of Sauce-flavor baijiu in the Guizhou province and the Beijing region differed significantly, which is partially responsible for the distinctive characteristics in the microbial community structure of Sauce-flavor baijiu-fermented grains from different regions.

Phyllosphere microbial community of cigar tobacco and its corresponding metabolites

Cigar is made of a typical fermented tobacco where the microbiota inhabits within an alkaline environment. Our current understanding on cigar fermentation is far from thorough. This work employed both high-throughput sequencing and chromatography-mass spectrometric technologies to provide new scientific reference for this specific fermented system. Typical cigar samples from different regions (the Caribbeans, South America, East Asia, and Southeast Asia) were investigated. The results show that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota were the predominant phyla in the cigar samples. Rather than the fungal community, it was the bacterial community structures that played vital roles to differentiate the cigar from different regions: Staphylococcus was the dominant genus in the Americas; Bacillus was the dominant genus in Southeast Asia; while in East Asia, there was no dominant genus. Such differences in community structure then affected the microflora metabolism. The correlation between microbiota and metabolites revealed that Aspergillaceae, Cercospora, and Staphylococcus were significantly correlated with sclareolide; Bacillus were positively associated with isophorone. Alcaligenaceae was significantly and positively correlated with L-nicotine and hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.

Actinomyces wuliandei sp. nov., Corynebacterium liangguodongii sp. nov., Corynebacterium yudongzhengii sp. nov. and Oceanobacillus zhaokaii sp. nov., isolated from faeces of Tibetan antelope in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau of China

Eight Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped bacterial strains were isolated from faeces of Tibetan antelopes on the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau of China. Genomic sequence analysis showed that the strains belong to the genera Actinomyces (strains 299^T and 340), Corynebacterium (strains 2184^T, 2185, 2183^T and 2189) and Oceanobacillus (strains 160^T and 143), respectively, with a percentage of similarity for the 16S rRNA gene under the species threshold of 98.7 % except for strains 160^T and 143 with Oceanobacillus arenosus CAU 1183^T (98.8 %). The genome sizes (and genomic G+C contents) were 3.1 Mb (49.4 %), 2.5 Mb (64.9 %), 2.4 Mb (66.1 %) and 4.1 Mb (37.1 %) for the type strains 299^T, 2183^T, 2184^T and 160^T, respectively. Two sets of the overall genome relatedness index values between our isolates and their corresponding closely related species were under species thresholds (95 % for average nucleotide identity, and 70 % for digital DNA-DNA hybridization). These results, together with deeper genotypic, genomic, phenotypic and biochemical analyses, indicate that these eight isolates should be classified as representing four novel species. Strain 299^T (=CGMCC 1.16320^T=JCM 33611^T) is proposed as representing Actinomyces wuliandei sp. nov.; strain 2184^T (=CGMCC 1.16417^T=DSM 106203^T) is proposed as representing Corynebacterium liangguodongii sp. nov.; strain 2183^T (=CGMCC 1.16416^T=DSM 106264^T) is proposed as representing Corynebacterium yudongzhengii sp. nov.; and strain 160^T (=CGMCC 1.16367^T=DSM 106186^T) is proposed as representing Oceanobacillus zhaokaii sp. nov.

Azoreductase from alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. AO1 catalyzes indigo reduction

Indigo is an insoluble blue dye historically used for dyeing textiles. A traditional approach for indigo dyeing involves microbial reduction of polygonum indigo to solubilize it under alkaline conditions; however, the mechanism by which microorganisms reduce indigo remains poorly understood. Here, we aimed to identify an enzyme that catalyzes indigo reduction; for this purpose, from alkaline liquor that performed microbial reduction of polygonum indigo, we isolated indigo carmine-reducing microorganisms. All isolates were facultative anaerobic and alkali-tolerant Bacillus spp. An isolate termed AO1 was found to be an alkaliphile that preferentially grows at pH 9.0-11.0 and at 30-35 °C. We focused on flavin-dependent azoreductase as a possible enzyme for indigo carmine reduction and identified its gene (azoA) in Bacillus sp. AO1 using homology-based strategies. azoA was monocistronic but clustered with ABC transporter genes. Primary sequence identities were < 50% between the azoA product (AzoA) and previously characterized flavin-dependent azoreductases. AzoA was heterologously produced as a flavoprotein tolerant to alkaline and organic solvents. The enzyme efficiently reduced indigo carmine in an NADH-dependent manner and showed strict specificity for electron acceptors. Notably, AzoA oxidized NADH in the presence, but not the absence, of indigo. The reaction rate was enhanced by adding organic solvents to solubilize indigo. Absorption spectrum analysis showed that indigo absorption decreased during the reaction. These observations suggest that AzoA can reduce indigo in vitro and potentially in Bacillus sp. AO1. This is the first study that identified an indigo reductase, providing a new insight into a traditional approach for indigo dyeing.

Novel bioflocculant produced by salt-tolerant, alkaliphilic strain Oceanobacillus polygoni HG6 and its application in tannery wastewater treatment

The optimized production of MBF-HG6, which is a novel salt-tolerant alkaliphilic bioflocculant produced by Oceanobacillus polygoni with its application in tannery wastewater treatment was investigated in this study. It was found the optimal carbon source, nitrogen source, cation, and initial pH of the medium for bioflocculant production were starch, urea, Fe2+, and pH 9.0, respectively. The best stability in the temperature range was from 0 to 80°C and the purified MBF-HG6 contained polysaccharides of 81.53% and proteins of 9.98%. The carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amino groups were determined in bioflocculants, while the optimized bioflocculating activity was observed as 90.25% for the dosages of 6.96mL MBF-HG6, 4.77mL CaCl2 (1%, m/v), and 19.24g/L NaCl using response surface methodology. In addition, SS and turbidity removal rates of the tannery wastewater (4g/L MBF-HG6) could, respectively, reach 46.49% and 91.08%, indicating that the great potential was emerged in enhancement of tannery wastewater treatment by MBF-HG6.

Description of 'Bacillus dakarensis' sp. nov., 'Bacillus sinesaloumensis' sp. nov., 'Gracilibacillus timonensis' sp. nov., 'Halobacillus massiliensis' sp. nov., 'Lentibacillus massiliensis' sp. nov., 'Oceanobacillus senegalensis' sp. nov., 'Oceanobacillus timonensis' sp. nov., 'Virgibacillus dakarensis' sp. nov. and 'Virgibacillus marseillensis' sp. nov., nine halophilic new species isolated from human stool

We report the main characteristics of 'Bacillus dakarensis' P3515^T sp. nov., 'Bacillus sinesaloumensis' P3516^T sp. nov., 'Gracilibacillus timonensis' P2481^T sp. nov., 'Halobacillus massiliensis' P3554^T sp. nov., 'Lentibacillus massiliensis' P3089^T sp. nov., 'Oceanobacillus senegalensis' P3587^T sp. nov., 'Oceanobacillus timonensis' P3532^T sp. nov., 'Virgibacillus dakarensis' P3469^T sp. nov. and 'Virgibacillus marseillensis' P3610^T sp. nov., that were isolated in 2016 from salty stool samples (≥1.7% NaCl) from healthy Senegalese living at Dielmo and N'diop, two villages in Senegal.

Oceanobacillus endoradicis sp. nov., an endophytic bacterial species isolated from the root of Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis

A bacterial strain, py1294(T), isolated from a root of Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis collected from Yunnan province, southwest China, was characterised by using a polyphasic approach to clarify its taxonomic position. Strain py1294(T) was found to be Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming, peritrichous flagella and rod shaped. Growth was found to occur in the presence of 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1-3 %), at pH 6.5-9.5 (optimum 8.0) and at 10-42 °C (optimum 30 °C). The major cellular fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, iso-C16:0 and iso-C14:0. The predominant quinone was identified as MK-7 and a minor amount of MK-6 was detected. The diagnostic polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The cell wall peptidoglycan was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain py1294(T) forms a well-supported clade with Oceanobacillus damuensis PT-20(T) (97.9 % sequence similarity) within the genus Oceanobacillus, although it also shares a high sequence similarity with Ornithinibacillus contaminans (97.5 %). Crucially, the DNA-DNA relatedness value between strain py1294(T) and O. damuensis PT-20(T) was 29.7 ± 3.2 %. The G+C content was determined to be 42.3 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic and phenotypic data, a novel species Oceanobacillus endoradicis sp. nov. is proposed, with py1294(T) (=DSM 100726(T) = KCTC 33731(T)) as the type strain.

Phylogenetic Profiling and Diversity of Bacterial Communities in the Death Valley, an Extreme Habitat in the Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert, one of the driest deserts in the world, represents a unique extreme environmental ecosystem to explore the bacterial diversity as it is considered to be at the dry limit for life. A 16S rRNA gene (spanning the hyper variable V3 region) library was constructed from an alkaline sample of unvegetated soil at the hyperarid margin in the Atacama Desert. A total of 244 clone sequences were used for MOTHUR analysis, which revealed 20 unique phylotypes or operational taxonomic units (OTUs). V3 region amplicons of the 16S rRNA were suitable for distinguishing the bacterial community to the genus and specie level. We found that all OTUs were affiliated with taxa representative of the Firmicutes phylum. The extremely high abundance of Firmicutes indicated that most bacteria in the soil were spore-forming survivors. In this study we detected a narrower diversity as compared to other ecological studies performed in other areas of the Atacama Desert. The reported genera were Oceanobacillus (representing the 69.5 % of the clones sequenced), Bacillus, Thalassobacillus and Virgibacillus. The present work shows physical and chemical parameters have a prominent impact on the microbial community structure. It constitutes an example of the communities adapted to live in extreme conditions caused by dryness and metal concentrations .

Oceanobacillus arenosus sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from marine sand

A Gram-stain-positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile, strictly aerobic bacterium, designated CAU 1183T, was isolated from marine sand and its taxonomic position was investigated by using a polyphasic approach. The bacterium grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 8.5 and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain CAU 1183T formed a distinct lineage within the genus Oceanobacillus and exhibited the highest similarity to Oceanobacillus chungangensis CAU 1051T (97.6 %). The strain contained MK-7 as the predominant isoprenoid quinone and anteiso-C15 : 0 was the major cellular fatty acid. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The polar lipid pattern of strain CAU 1183T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and unidentified lipids, including two phospholipids, two glycolipids, a phosphoglycolipid and two lipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 37.5 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain CAU 1183T should be assigned to a novel species in the genus Oceanobacillus, for which the name Oceanobacillus arenosus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CAU 1183T ( = KCTC 33037T = CECT 8560T).

Oceanobacillus bengalensis sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from seawater of the Bay of Bengal

A Gram-stain positive, motile, and subterminal endospore-forming rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain Ma-21(T), was isolated from seawater of the Bay of Bengal. Strain Ma-21(T) was found to grow optimally at 37 °C and pH 8.0 with 3% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses showed that strain Ma-21(T) forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage close to Oceanobacillus chungangensis CAU 1051(T), Oceanobacillus caeni S-11(T), Oceanobacillus arenosus CAU 1183(T), Oceanobacillus halophilum GD01(T) and Ornithinibacillus heyuanensis GIESS003(T) in the family Bacillaceae. The cell wall of strain Ma-21(T) was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid, which is in line with those of members of the genus Oceanobacillus. The genomic DNA G+C content was determined to be 35.9 mol%. The only respiratory quinone detected was MK-7. The major cellular fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C(15:0) and anteiso-C(17:0). The major polar lipids were found to be diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic properties, strain Ma-21(T) is suggested to represent a novel species in the genus Oceanobacillus, for which the name Oceanobacillus bengalensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Ma-21(T) (=CGMCC 1.12799(T) = KCTC 33416(T) = MCCC 1K00260(T)).

Gracilibacillus alcaliphilus sp. nov., a facultative alkaliphile isolated from indigo fermentation liquor for dyeing

A facultatively alkaliphilic, lactic-acid-producing and halophilic strain, designated SG103T, was isolated from a fermented Polygonum indigo (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.) liquor sample for dyeing prepared in a laboratory. 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogeny suggested that SG103T is a member of the genus Gracilibacillus with the closest relatives being ‘Gracilibacillus xinjiangensis’ J2 (similarity: 97.06 %), Gracilibacillus thailandensis TP2-8T (97.06 %) and Gracilibacillus halotolerans NNT (96.87 %). Cells of the isolate stained Gram-positive and were facultatively anaerobic straight rods that were motile by peritrichous flagella. The strain grew at temperatures between 13 and 48 °C with the optimum at 39 °C. It grew in the range pH 7–10 with the optimum at pH 9. The isoprenoid quinone detected was menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and the DNA G+C content was 41.3 mol%. The whole-cell fatty acid profile mainly (>10 %) consisted of iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Unlike other reported species of the genus Gracilibacillus , the strain lacked diphosphatidylglycerol as a major polar lipid. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments with strains exhibiting greater than 96.87 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, ‘G. xinjiangensis’ J2, G. thailandensis TP2-8T and G. halotolerans NNT, revealed 2±4 %, 4±9 % and 3±2 % relatedness, respectively. On the basis of the differences in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and the results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and DNA–DNA relatedness data from reported species of the genus Gracilibacillus , strain SG103T merits classification as a members of a novel species, for which the name Gracilibacillus alcaliphilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG103T ( = JCM 17253T = NCIMB 14683T).

Oceanobacillus pacificus sp. nov., isolated from a deep-sea sediment

A moderately halophilic bacterial strain, designated XH204T, was isolated from deep-sea sediment core (45° 58′ S 163° 11′ W) of the South Pacific Gyre during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 329. The strain was Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, motile by peritrichous flagella and produced ellipsoidal endospores subterminally positioned within swollen sporangia. Growth of strain XH204T occurred at 15–42 °C (optimum 37 °C), in the presence of 0–14 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 4 %) and at pH 7.0–10.0 (optimum pH 8.0). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain XH204T belonged to the genus Oceanobacillus and showed the highest sequence similarity to Oceanobacillus profundus CL-MP28T (95.6 %); strain XH204T exhibited 93.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strain of the type species of the genus Oceanobacillus , Oceanobacillus iheyensis HTE831T. The dominant fatty acids of strain XH204T were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C14 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The cell wall of strain XH204T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid, and ribose, glucose and galactose as the major whole-cell sugars. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol. Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was the only isoprenoid quinone and the DNA G+C content was 38.8 mol%. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, strain XH204T represents a novel species of the genus Oceanobacillus , for which the name Oceanobacillus pacificus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XH204T ( = DSM 25873T = JCM 18381T).

Oceanobacillus aidingensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium

Two Gram-positive, rod-shaped moderately halophilic bacterial strains, designated AD7-25^T and AB-11, were isolated from Aiding and Manasi salt lakes in Xinjiang of China, respectively. The strains were found to be able to grow at NaCl concentrations of 0–21 % (w/v), with optimum growth occurring at 6–8 % (w/v) NaCl. The optimal temperature and pH for growth were determined to be 33–37 °C and pH 7.0–7.5. Cells of the strains are motile by means of polar flagella. Both strains can produce ellipsoidal spores. The major cellular fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C_15:0, iso-C_15:0, iso-C_14:0, anteiso-C_17:0 and iso-C_16:0. The diamino acid in the peptidoglycan and the major quinone system were determined to be meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-DAP) and MK-7, respectively. The DNA G+C contents of stains AD7-25^T and AB-11 were 39.8 and 40.0 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that these two novel strains are closely related to the genus Oceanobacillus showing 90–99.5 % similarity with respect to type strains. These two novel strains were most closely related to Oceanobacillus oncorhynchi subsp. incaldanensis DSM 16557^T (99.1 and 99.5 %), followed by O. oncorhynchi subsp. oncorhynchi JCM 12661^T (99.1 and 99.4 %), Oceanobacillus neutriphilus CGMCC 1.7693^T (97.0 and 97.5 %), Oceanobacillus sojae JCM 15792^T (97.6 and 98.0 %) and Oceanobacillus locisalsi KCTC 13253^T (96.5 and 96.9 %). The DNA–DNA hybridization data indicated that DNA relatedness between strains AD7-25^T and AB-11 was 91.0 %, and the genomic homology of representative strain AD7-25^T with O. oncorhynchi subsp. incaldanensis DSM 16557^T, O. oncorhynchi subsp. oncorhynchi JCM 12661^T, O. neutriphilus CGMCC 1.7693^T, O. sojae JCM 15792^T and O. locisalsi KCTC 13253^T were 41, 39, 20, 23 and 17 %, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strains AD7-25^T and AB-11 should be assigned to the genus Oceanobacillus as a new species, for which the name Oceanobacillus aidingensis sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain is AD7-25^T (=CGMCC 1.9106 ^T = NBRC 105904^T).

Oceanobacillus luteolus sp. nov., isolated from soil

Two Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped and endospore-forming bacteria, designated WM-1T and WM-4, were isolated from a paddy soil and a forest soil, respectively, in South China. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that both strains were members of the genus Oceanobacillus and most closely related to Oceanobacillus chironomi LMG 23627T with pairwise sequence similarity of 96.0%. The isolates contained menaquinone-7 (MK-7) as the respiratory quinone and anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C15:0 as the major fatty acids (>10%). Polar lipids consisted of a predominance of diphosphatidylglycerol and moderate to minor amounts of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The DNA G+C content was 38.6-39.2 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain WM-1T displayed 99.7 % similarity to that of strain WM-4, and DNA-DNA hybridization between the two strains showed a relatedness value of 91 %. Based on the results of this polyphasic study, strains WM-1T and WM-4 represent a novel species in the genus Oceanobacillus, for which the name Oceanobacillus luteolus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WM-1T (=KCTC 33119T=CGMCC 1.12406T).

Oceanobacillus limi sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium from a salt lake

A Gram-stain-positive, endospore-forming, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain H9B(T), was isolated from a mud sample of the hypersaline lake Aran-Bidgol in Iran. Cells of strain H9B(T) were motile and produced colonies with a yellowish-grey pigment. Growth occurred between 2.5 and 10 % (w/v) NaCl and the isolate grew optimally at 7.5 % (w/v) NaCl. The optimum pH and temperature for growth of the strain were pH 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively, while it was able to grow over pH and temperature ranges of pH 6-10 and 25-45 °C, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain H9B(T) is a member of the genus Oceanobacillus. The closest relative to this strain was Oceanobacillus profundus CL-MP28(T) with 97.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequences similarity. The level of DNA-DNA relatedness between the novel isolate and this phylogenetically related species was 17 %. The major cellular fatty acids of the isolate were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The polar lipid pattern of strain H9B(T) consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, four phospholipids and an aminolipid. It contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone and meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of this strain was 37.1 mol%. Phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA relatedness data suggest that this strain represents a novel species of the genus Oceanobacillus, for which the name Oceanobacillus limi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Oceanobacillus limi is strain H9B(T) ( = IBRC-M 10780(T) = KCTC 13823(T) = CECT 7997(T)).