Deinococcus frigens sp. nov., Deinococcus saxicola sp. nov., and Deinococcus marmoris sp. nov., low temperature and draught-tolerating, UV-resistant bacteria from continental Antarctica.

Six Gram-positive, non-motile, UV- and draught-tolerant bacteria were isolated from antarctic soil and rock samples. The pink to orange cocci grew well on oligotrophic medium PYGV (pH 7.5) at 9-18 degrees C.

Modestobacter multiseptatus gen. nov., sp. nov., a budding actinomycete from soils of the Asgard Range (Transantarctic Mountains).

Oligotrophic PYGV medium, inoculated with soils from Linnaeus Terrace (1600 m, Antarctica), yielded four aerobic actinomycetes with short rods, multiple and irregular septa and often motile buds. Cells were 1.0-2.

Hymenobacter roseosalivarius gen. nov., sp. nov. from continental Antartica soils and sandstone: bacteria of the Cytophaga/Flavobacterium/Bacteroides line of phylogenetic descent.

Aseptically collected sandstone and soil samples from the antarctic Dry Valleys were inoculated into oligotrophic media and incubated under low light intensities. A total of 41 Gram-negative isolates were obtained with reddish colonies spreading on agar. A sandstone isolate and four soil strains were characterized further.