sp. nov., a phenolic acid-degrading bacterium isolated from acidic forest soil.

RP11 was isolated from forest soil following enrichment with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Cells of RP11 are aerobic, non-sporulating, exhibit swimming motility, and are rods (0.8 µm by 1.4 µm) that often occur as diplobacillus or in short chains (3-4 cells). Optimal growth on minimal media containing 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (µ=0.216 hr) occurred at 30 °C, pH 6.5 or 7.0 and 0% salinity. Comparative chemotaxonomic, genomic and phylogenetic analyses revealed the isolate was distinct from its closest relative type strains identified as LMG 27731, LMG 16225 and CF1. Strain RP11 is genetically distinct from , its closest relative, in terms of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (98.7%), genomic average nucleotide identity (94%) and DNA-DNA hybridization (56.7 %±2.8). The composition of fatty acids and substrate utilization pattern differentiated strain RP11 from its closest relatives, including growth on phthalic acid. Strain RP11 encoded the greatest number of aromatic degradation genes of all eleven closely related type strains and uniquely encoded a phthalic acid dioxygenase and paralog of the 3-hydroxybenzoate 4-monooxygenase. The only ubiquinone detected in strain RP11 was Q-8, and the major cellular fatty acids were C, 3OH-C, C cyclo, C cyclo ω8c, and summed feature 8 (C ω7c/ω6c). On the basis of this polyphasic approach, it was determined that strain RP11 represents a novel species from the genus for which the name sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RP11 (=DSM 110123=LMG 31517).