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. 2013 May 24;13:118. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-118

Table 1.

Distinguishing features of characterized BChl a-containing members of the OM60/NOR5 clade

Characteristic 1 2 3 4
Morphology
Size (in SYPHC medium) [μm]
 1.2 – 2.2 × 0.6
 1.2 – 1.8 × 0.7
 1.2 – 1.5 × 0.6
 1.2 -1.6 × 0.6
Shape (in SYPHC medium)
 straight-to-bent rods, coccoid
 straight-to-bent rods, coccoid
 straight rods, coccoid
 straight rods, coccoid
Storage compounds
 PolyP, PHA
 PolyP, PHA
 PolyP, CP
 PolyP, GLY
Motility
 -
 +
 +
 -
Cell aggregation
 -
 w
 +
 +
Pigmentation
BChl a absorption [nm] (in vivo)
 801, 871
 802, 877
 802, 876
 804, 821, 871
BChl a production [nmol/mg dw]
 1.2
 1.1*
 3.5
 4.4
Carotenoid absorption [nm] (in acetone/methanol)
 465, 495, 529
 467, 496, 531
 465, 495, 529
 470, 496, 530
Diffusible brown compound
 -
 +
 -
 -
Chemotaxonomy
Fatty acid 16:1 ω6c
 -
 -
 +
 -
Main hydroxy fatty acids (>1% of total fatty acids)
 10:0 3OH, 12:0 3OH
 11:0 3OH, 12:0 3OH, 12:1 3OH
 10:0 3OH
 12:1 3OH, 12:0 2OH
Lipoquinones
 Q8 (tr. Q7)
 Q8
 Q8
 Q8*
Polar lipids
 PG, PE, PN
 PG, PE, PL, PN
 PG, PE, PL
 PG, PE, PL
DNA G + C content [mol%]
 57
 63*
 58
 66
Physiology
NaCl range (optimum) [% w/v]
 1 – 9 (3)
 0 – 18 (4)*
 1 – 7 (2)
 0.7 – 4.2 (3.5)*
Temp. range (optimum) [°C]
 12 – 32 (28)
 7 – 40 (37)*
 9 – 33 (28)
 15 – 44 (30)*
Antibiotic sensitivity
Imipenem (10 μg)
 +
 -*
 +
 -
Polymyxin B (300 U)
 +
 +*
 +
 -
Required supplements
L-histidine
 +
 -
 -
 -
Biotin
 +
 +*
 +
 +
Thiamin
 +
 +*
 +
 +
Vitamin B12
 +
 +*
 +
 +
Enzyme activities
Catalase
 +
 +
 w
 +
Oxidase
 +
 + [-*]
 +
 +
Aesculinase
 -
 -
 -
 +
Tweenase 20/80
 +/w
 +/w
 +/w
 +/+
Urease
 -
 -
 +
 -
Utilization of
Sucrose
 -
 -
 +
 -
Glycerol
 w
 -
 w
 w [-*]
Butanol
 +
 -
 w
 +
Propionate
 +
 + [-*]
 w
 + [-*]
Butyrate
 +
 + [-*]
 w
 +
DL-lactate
 +
 -
 -
 + [-*]
2-oxoglutarate
 +
 -
 +
 +
L-serine
 -
 -
 +
 + [-*]
L-proline
 -
 +
 +
 -
L-isoleucine
 -
 +
 -
 +
L-arginine
 -
 -
 +
 -
L-phenylalanine
 +
 -
 -
 -
L-glutamate
 -
 +
 +
 + [-*]
L-glutathione - + + +

All strains were positive in the utilization of acetate, L-alanine, fumarate, DL-3-hydroxybutyrate, DL-malate, oxaloacetate, pyruvate, succinate, and L-threonine. The following compounds were not utilized by all tested strains: citrate, ethanol, formate, D-fructose, D-glucose, glycolate, and methanol. Degradation of starch and gelatin, reduction of nitrate to nitrite and stimulation of growth by thiosulfate were negative in all strains, as well as diagnostic tests for the enzymes tryptophanase and arginine dihydrolase. Data marked with an asterisk were taken from the literature [18,31]. Published data that disagree with our results are shown in brackets. Abbreviations: PolyP polyphosphate, PHA polyhydroxyalkanoate, CP cyanophycin, GLY glycogen, PG phosphatidylglycerol, PE phosphatidylethanolamine, PL unidentified phospholipid, PN unidentified aminophospholipid, w weakly positive reaction. Strains: 1, Luminiphilus syltensis Ivo14T; 2, Chromatocurvus halotolerans DSM 23344T; 3, Congregibacter litoralis DSM 17192T; 4, Pseudohaliea (= Haliea) rubra DSM 19751T.