Shewanella azerbaijanica sp. nov. a novel aquatic species with high bioremediation abilities.

A novel Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, and non-motile bacterium with bio-degradation potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and uranium bio-reduction, designated as RCRI7, was isolated from Qurugöl Lake water near Tabriz city. Strain RCRI7 can grow in the absence of NaCl and tolerates up to 3% NaCl (optimum, 0-0.5%), at the temperature range of 4-45 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and a pH range of 6-9 (optimum, pH 7 ± 0.5). Results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain RCRI7 is affiliated with the genus Shewanella, most closely related to Shewanella xiamenensis S4 (99.1%) and Shewanella putrefaciens JCM 20190 (98.9%). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain RCRI7 is 41 mol%. The major fatty acids are Cω9c, Cω9c and iso-Cω5c. The OrthoANI and ANIb values between RCRI7 and Shewanella xiamenensis S4 were 87.4% and 87.7%, and between RCRI7 and Shewanella putrefaciens JCM 20190 were 79.5% and 79.7%, respectively. Strain RCRI7 displayed dDDH values of 30.2% and 39.8% to Shewanella xiamenensis S4 and Shewanella putrefaciens JCM 20190, respectively. The major polar lipids include phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The respiratory quinone is Q8. Based on the polyphasic evidence presented in this paper, strain RCRI7 is considered to represent a novel species, with bioremediation potential, in the genus Shewanella, for which the name Shewanella azerbaijanica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RCRI7 (= JCM 17276) (= KCTC 62476).