Kocuria koreensis sp. nov., isolated from fermented seafood

Abstract

A Gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile and coccoid actinobacterium, designated P31T, was isolated from a traditional, fermented seafood. The strain was catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Cells grew in the presence of 0-15.0% (w/v) NaCl, and at pH 5-10 and 15-37 °C. Major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C16:0. Strain P31T contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain P31T was 65.2 mol%. A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain P31T was most closely related to Kocuria kristinae DSM 20032T, with 96.9% similarity, and these two strains clustered together in constructed phylogenetic trees. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain P31T and K. kristinae DSM 20032T was 21.1 %. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, it is suggested that strain P31T represents a novel species of the genus Kocuria, for which the name Kocuria koreensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is P31T (=KCTC 19595T=JCM 15915T).