Psychrobacillus vulpis sp. nov., a new species isolated from faeces of a red fox in Spain

A facultative anaerobic, chemoheterotrophic, endospore-forming, Gram-stain-positive rod, designated as strain Z8(T), was isolated from red fox (Vulpes vulpes) faeces sampled at Tablas de Daimiel National Park, Ciudad Real, Spain. Strain Z8(T) grew at 0-37 degrees C (optimum, 28 degrees C), in the presence of 0-5.5% (w/v) NaCl (2.5%, w/v) and at pH 6-10 (pH 7). The strain was motile and positive for catalase, oxidase, H2S and siderophore production, acid and alkaline phosphatases, and N-acetylglucosamine, adipic acid and malate assimilation. It hydrolysed starch, DNA, L-tyrosine, Tween 20, Tween 80 and lecithovitellin. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain Z8(T) is a member of the genus Psychrobacillus, showing high sequence similarity to Psychrobacillus lasiicapitis NEAU-3TGS17(T) (99.2%) and Psychrobacillus soli NHI-2T(T) (99.1%), and around 98% to other known species of the genus Psychrobacillus. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values were lower than 24 and 79%, respectively, with the most related species. In silico G+C content was 35.9 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids of strain Z8(T) were iso-C-14:0, iso-C-15:0 and anteiso-C-15:0. The novel strain contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol as predominant polar lipids, and the main respiratory isoprenoid quinone was MK-8. Based on the 165 rRNA phylogenetic analysis, together with MLSA (recA, rpoB and gyrB), phylogenomic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic results, we demonstrate that strain Z8(T) represents a novel species of the genus Psychrobacillus, for which the name Psychrobacillus vulpis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is Z8(T) (=CECT 9721(T)=LMG 31001(T)).