sp. nov., isolated from traditional Chinese pickle.

Three Gram-stain-positive bacterial strains (designated 231-9, 142-6 and 463-4) were isolated from traditional Chinese pickle, and were characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strains 231-9, 142-6 and 463-4 were phylogenetically related to the type strains of , , , and , having 98.6-99.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. Strains 231-9, 142-6 and 463-4 were most closely related to the type strain of , having 99.9 % 16S rRNA gene, 95.6 % , 99.4 % and 98.2 % concatenated and sequence similarities. Relatively low (95.6 %) sequence similarity indicated that strain 231-9 should be further identified. Strain 231-9 shared 99.7-99.9 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 98.8-98.9 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values with strains 142-6 and 463-4, indicating that they belonged to the same species. The ANI and dDDH values between strain 231-9 and LMG 26013 were 92.4-92.9 and 49.6 %, respectively, less than the threshold for species demarcation (95-96% ANI and 70 % dDDH values, respectively), indicating that strains 231-9, 142-6 and 463-4 represented a novel species within the genus . Acid production from d-ribose, d-adonitol, d-galactose and lactose, activity of -galactosidase and -glucosidase, Voges-Proskauer reaction, hydrolysis of hippurate, resistance to 5 µg ml erythromycin, 100 µg ml tetracycline hydrochloride, 50 µg ml bacitracin, 300 µg ml each of gentamicin sulphate, streptomycin sulphate and neomycin sulphate, tolerance to 6 % NaCl could distinguish strains 231-9, 142-6 and 463-4 from 3.1.1. Based upon the data of polyphasic characterization obtained in the present study, a novel species, sp. nov., is proposed and the type strain is 231-9 (=JCM 36258=CCTCC AB 2023133).