An extremely halophilic archaeon, strain D108T was isolated from a brine sample of Aran-Bidgol salt lake in Iran. The novel strain was cream pigmented, motile, pleomorphic rod and required at least 2.5 M NaCl but not MgCl2 for growth. Optimal growth was achieved at 4.3 M NaCl and 0.1 M MgCl2. The optimum pH and temperature for growth were pH 7.5 and 40 °C, respectively, and it was able to grow over a pH range of 6.5 to 9.0, and a temperature range of 30 to 50 °C. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison revealed that strain D108T clustered with the sole member of the genus Halorientalis, Halorientalis regularis with a sequence similarity of 98.8 %. The polar lipid pattern of strain D108T consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, one phosphoglycolipid and two glycolipids. The only quinone present was MK-8(ΙΙ-H2). The G+C content of its DNA was 62.8 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization studies (45 % with Halorientalis regularis IBRC-M 10760T), as well as biochemical and physiological characterization, allowed strain D108T to be differentiated from Halorientalis regularis. A novel species Halorientalis persicus sp. nov., is therefore proposed to accommodate this strain. The type strain is D108T (=IBRC-M 10043T = CECT 8375T). An emended description of the genus Halorientalis is also proposed.

Keywords