gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a methanogenic paraffin-degrading enrichment culture and emended description of the family .

A mesophilic deltaproteobacterium, designated strain SPR, was isolated from a methanogenic consortium capable of degrading long-chain paraffins. Cells were motile, vibrio-shaped, and occurred singly, in pairs or in clusters. Strain SPR did not metabolize hydrocarbons but grew fermentatively on pyruvate and oxaloacetate and autotrophically with H and CO. Thiosulfate served as a terminal electron acceptor, but sulfate or sulfite did not. The organism required at least 10 g NaCl l and a small amount of yeast extract (0.001%) for growth. Optimal growth was observed between 30 and 37 °C and a pH range from 6.0 to 7.2. The DNA G+C content of SPR's genome was 52.02 mol%. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain SPR was distinct from previously described , exhibiting the closest affiliation to DSM 2075 and SCBM, with only 91% similarity between their respective 16S gene sequences. genome comparison supported the distinctiveness between strain SPR and both SCBM and DSM 2075. Based on physiological differences, as well as phylogenetic and genomic comparisons, we propose to classify SPR as the type strain ( = DSM 100305 = JCM 30857) of a novel species of a new genus with the name gen. nov., sp. nov.