sp. nov. a novel plant growth-promoting bacterium with potential use in phytoremediation.

Strain RA15 was isolated from the rhizosphere of the halophyte plant growing in the Odiel marshes (Huelva, Spain). RA15 cells were Gram stain-negative, non-spore-forming, aerobic rods and formed cream-coloured, opaque, mucoid, viscous, convex, irregular colonies with an undulate margin. Optimal growth conditions were observed on tryptic soy agar (TSA) plates supplemented with 2.5 % NaCl (w/v) at pH 7.0 and 28 °C, although it was able to grow at 4-32 °C and at pH values of 5.0-9.0. The NaCl tolerance range was from 0 to 15 %. The major respiratory quinone was Q8 but Q9 was also present. The most abundant fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C ω7 and/or C ω6), C 8 and C. The polar lipids profile comprised phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine as the most abundant representatives. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the well-supported affiliation of strain RA15 within the genus , close to the type strains of , and . Results of comparative phylogenetic and phenotypic studies between strain RA15 and its closest related species suggest that RA15 could be a new representative of the genus , for which the name sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RA15 (=CECT 9079=LMG 29860). The whole genome has 5.3 Mb and the G+C content is 40.4 mol%.