Table 3.

Differential characteristics of Gracilibacillus massiliensis compared to other close bacteria of the genus Gracilibacillus

Properties	G. massiliensis	G. thailandensis	G. saliphilus	G. orientalis	G. ureilyticus	G. halophilus	G. boraciitolerans	G. kekensis	G. halotolerans	G. alcaliphilus
Cell diameter (µm)	0.3–1.8	0.3–0.4	0.7–0.9	0.7–0.9	0.7–1	0.3–0.5	0.5–0.9	0.2–1.05	0.4–0.6	0.5–0.7
Pigmentation	White	White	Creamy white	Creamy	Creamy	White	Dirty white	Creamy white	Creamy white	Creamy white
Oxygen requirement	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic	Aerobic
Gram stain	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Salt requirement	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Motility	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Sporulation	−	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Indole	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−
Production of
Alkaline phosphate	−	−	+	NA	+	+	+	NA	+	−
Catalase	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	NA	+	+
Oxidase	−	+	+	−	+	+	+	−	+	−
Nitrate reductase	−	+	+	−	+	+	−	−	+	+
Urease	+	−	+	−	+	−	−	−	+	+
Arginine dihydrolase	NA	−	−	−	+	−	−	NA	−	−
β-galactosidase	−	NA	+	NA	+	+	+	NA	+	NA
α-galactosidase	+	NA	−	NA	+	−	+	NA	NA	−
N-acetyl-glucosamine	−	NA	+	NA	NA	−	NA	NA	NA	+
Acid from
L-Arabinose	−	+	+	+	+	−	+	+	+	+
Ribose	−	+	+	NA	NA	+	+	+	+	+
D-mannose	−	+	+	−	+	−	+	+	−	−
D-mannitol	−	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
D-sucrose	NA	+	+	+	+	+	NA	+	−	+
D-glucose	−	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
D-fructose	−	+	+	+	NA	+	+	+	+	+
D-maltose	−	+	+	+	+	−	+	+	−	+
D-lactose	−	−	+	+	+	−	+	+	−	+
DNA G+C content (mol%)	36.05	37.6	40.1	37.1	35.3	42.3	35.8	35.8	38	41.3
Habitat	Cooking salt	Fermented fish	Salt lake	Salt lake	Saline-alkaline soil	Salt soil	Soil	Salt lake	Saline soil	Fermentation liquor for dyeing

G. massiliensis Awa-1^T; G. thailandensis TP2-8^T(9); G. orientalis XH-63^T(39); G. ureilyticus MF38^T (6); G. halophilus YIM-C55.5^T(8); G. boraciitolerans T-16X^T(40); G. saliphilus YIM91119^T(41); G. kekensis K170^T(11); G. halotolerans NN^T(5); G. alcaliphilus SG103^T(7). NA=not available.