A Gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, strain SS011B1-20T, was isolated from sediments of the South China Sea. Growth occurred at NaCl concentrations between 0 and 10% and at temperatures between 10 and 37 6C. Strain SS011B1-20T contained Q-10 as the major respiratory quinone and C18: 1v7c (81.2%), C16: 0 (7.0%) and C18: 1 methyl (4.3%) as the predominant fatty acids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 64.7 mol%. A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain SS011B1-20T belonged to a clade within the genus Oceanicola in the Alphaproteobacteria, the highest sequence similarities being found with respect to Oceanicola batsensis (96.3%) and with Oceanicola granulosus (94.9%). Strain SS011B1-20T could be clearly distinguished from other Oceanicola species on the basis of the genotypic, phenotypic and phylogenetic data. Thus, it is proposed that strain SS011B1-20T represents a novel species of the genus Oceanicola, with the name Oceanicola nanhaiensis sp. nov. The type strain is SS011B1-20T (=LMG 23508T=CGMCC 1.6293T).

Two novel strains, SL014B61AT and SL014B11A, were isolated from an oil-polluted saline soil from Gudao in the coastal Shengli Oilfield, eastern China. Cells of strains SL014B61AT and SL014B11A were motile, Gram-negative and rod-shaped. Growth occurred at NaCl concentrations of between 0 and 15% and at temperatures of between 10 and 45 6C. Strain SL014B61AT had Q9 as the major respiratory quinone and C16: 0 (21.2%), C18: 1v9c (20.3%), C16: 1v7c (7.3%) and C16: 1v9c (6.4%) as predominant fatty acids. The G+C content of the DNA was 57.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SL014B61AT belonged to the genus Marinobacter in the class Gammaproteobacteria. Strain SL014B61AT showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Marinobacter bryozoorum (97.9%) and showed 97.8% sequence similarity to Marinobacter lipolyticus. DNA–DNA relatedness to the reference strains Marinobacter bryozoorum and Marinobacter lipolyticus was 35.5% and 33.8%, respectively. On the basis of these data, it is proposed that strains SL014B61AT and SL014B11A represent a novel species, Marinobacter gudaonensis sp. nov. The type strain is strain SL014B61AT (=DSM 18066T=LMG 23509T=CGMCC 1.6294T).

Two moderately halophilic strains, SL014B-69T and SL014B-62A2, were isolated from a saline soil contaminated with crude oil in Gudao in the coastal Shengli oilfield in China; the isolates were Gram-negative, rod-shaped and carried lateral flagella. Growth occurred at NaCl concentrations of 1-20%(w/v), at temperatures of 10-42 6Cand at pH 8.0-9.0. Strain SL014B-69T hadC18: 1v7c (28.61%), C19: 1 cyclo v7c (27.97%), C16: 0 (19.66%) and C12: 0 3-OH (8.87%) as the predominant fatty acids and Q9 as the major ubiquinone, with the G+C content of genomic DNA being 64.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the two strains belonged to genus of Halomonas in the Gammaproteobacteria, with the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 96.4% with Halomonas campisalis ATCC 700597T and 96.0%with Halomonas desiderata FB2T. DNA-DNA relatedness of strain SL014B-69T with strain SL014B-62A2, H. campisalis ATCC 700597T and H. desiderata DSM 9502T was 97.4, 42.9 and 36.8%, respectively. On the basis of these data, a novel species of the genus Halomonas, Halomonas gudaonensis sp. nov., is proposed for strain SL014B-69T and SL014B-62A2. The type strain is SL014B-69T (=LMG 23610T=CGMCC 1.6133T).

A thermophilic, methylotrophic methanogen, strain ZC-1T, was isolated from the Shengli oilfield, China. Cells of strain ZC-1T were motile cocci, 0.7-1.0 mm in diameter and always occurred in clusters of two to four cells. Lysis-susceptibility experiments and analysis of transmission electron micrographs of strain ZC-1T suggested the presence of a proteinaceous cell wall. Strain ZC-1T used methanol, methylamine and trimethylamine as substrates for methanogenesis. Optimal growth, with a doubling time of around 5 h, occurred at pH 6.0-6.5, 65 6C, 0.3-0.5 M NaCl and 0.05-0.20 M MgCl2. The DNA G+C content of this organism was 56 mol%. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence and the inferred amino acid sequence of the mcrA gene of strain ZC-1T indicated that it is related specifically to members of the family Methanosaetaceae (90.6 and 76.6% sequence similarity, respectively). However, strain ZC-1T failed to grow with acetate as substrate for methanogenesis, which is a special characteristic of the family Methanosaetaceae. Based on these phenotypic and phylogenic characteristics, strain ZC-1T is proposed to represent a novel genus and species, for which the name Methermicoccus shengliensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZC-1T (5CGMCC 1.5056T5DSM 18856T). Methermicoccaceae fam. nov. is also proposed.

A moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain SL014B-85T, was isolated from a crude-oil-contaminated saline soil from Shengli oilfield, Shandong Province, China. Cells were Gram-negative, aerobic, short rods with lateral flagella. Growth occurred at NaCl concentrations of 0-15% (optimum 5-15%), at 10-42℃ (optimum 30℃) and at pH 8.0-9.0 (optimum pH 8.5). The only respiratory quinone was Q9, and the main cellular fatty acids were C18: 1v7c, C16: 0 and C19: 0 cyclo v8c. The G+C content of the DNA was 66.6 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SL014B-85T belonged to the genus Halomonas in the Gammaproteobacteria, with highest sequence similarity of 98.1 and 97.8% to Halomonas alimentaria DSM 15356T and Halomonas ventosae DSM 15911T, respectively. DNA-DNA relatedness values were below 40% with members of closely related Halomonas species. Results of phenotypic, biochemical and phylogenetic analyses revealed that strain SL014B-85T could be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas shengliensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SL014B-85T (=CGMCC 1.6444T=LMG 23897T).