<em>Gemmata algarum</em>, a Novel Planctomycete Isolated from an Algal Mat, Displays Antimicrobial Activity
Gaurav Kumar,
Nicolai Kallscheuer,
Mohammad Kashif,
Shabbir Ahamad,
Uppada Jagadeeshwari,
Sreya Pannikurungottu,
Tom Haufschild,
Moses Kabuu,
Chintalapati Sasikala,
Christian Jogler,
Chintalapati Venkata Ramana
Affiliations
Gaurav Kumar
Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
Nicolai Kallscheuer
Department of Microbial Interactions, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
Mohammad Kashif
Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
Shabbir Ahamad
Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
Uppada Jagadeeshwari
Bacterial Discovery Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Institute of Science and Technology, JNT University Hyderabad, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India
Sreya Pannikurungottu
Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
Tom Haufschild
Department of Microbial Interactions, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
Moses Kabuu
Department of Microbial Interactions, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
Chintalapati Sasikala
Bacterial Discovery Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Institute of Science and Technology, JNT University Hyderabad, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500085, India
Christian Jogler
Department of Microbial Interactions, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
Chintalapati Venkata Ramana
Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad 500046, India
Axenic cultures of two strains, JC673T and JC717, both belonging to the phylum Planctomycetota, were isolated from distinct geographical locations in India. Strain JC673T was obtained from algal mats of a wetland situated in the state of Kerala, India, while strain JC717 originated from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), state of Tamil Nadu, India. The two strains share 99.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and are most closely related to Gemmata obscuriglobus UQM 2246T (99.3% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity). The newly isolated strains are Gram-negative, grow aerobically and tolerate up to 4% (w/v) NaCl and a pH of up to 9.0. Cells are spherical and form pink-pigmented colonies. The respiratory quinone is MK-6. Major fatty acids are C18:0, C16:1ω5c and C16:0. Polar lipids include phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, several unidentified amino lipids, unidentified phospholipids, additional unidentified lipids, and an unidentified choline lipid. The polyamine spermidine is produced by the two strains. The strains have a genome size of about 8.2 Mb with a DNA G+C content of 67.6%. Solvent-based culture extracts of the isolates showed antimicrobial activity against three bacterial test strains. Their phylogenetic position along with differences in morphological, physiological, and genomic features support the classification as a new species of the genus Gemmata, for which we propose the name Gemmata algarum sp. nov. Strain JC673T (=KCTC 72851T = NBRC 114340T) and JC717 are the type and non-type strain of the new species, respectively.
