Eionea flava sp. nov., isolated from coastal seawater, and emended description of the genus Eionea

A Gram-staining-negative, non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive, facultatively aerobic bacterium, designated IMCC1962^T was isolated from a surface seawater sample from the Yellow Sea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain IMCC1962^T belonged to the genus Eionea, forming a robust clade with members of the genus, and was most closely related to Eionea nigra (97.3% similarity). DNA–DNA relatedness between strain IMCC1962^T and Eionea nigra DSM 19752^T was 21.8–26.3%, which indicated strain IMCC1962^T represents a novel genomic species of the genus Eionea. The G+C content of the DNA of strain IMCC1962^T was 48.7mol%. The major isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone Q-8 and major fatty acids were C_16:1ω7c and/or C_16:1ω6c (43.4%), C_18:1ω7cand/or C_18:1ω6c (19.3%) and C_16:0 (17.2%). The polar lipids found in strain IMCC1962^Twere phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, aminophospholipid, unknown phospholipid, and four unknown polar lipids. Strain IMCC1962^T and Eionea nigra DSM 19752^Tdiffered from each other in diverse phenotypic characteristics including motility, colony colour and enzyme activities. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data, strain IMCC1962^T (=KACC 17481^T=NBRC 109703^T) represents a novel species of the genus Eionea, for which the name Eionea flava sp. nov. is proposed. An emended description of the genus Eionea is also provided.