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Marine algae produce complex polysaccharides, which can be degraded by marine heterotrophic bacteria utilizing carbohydrate-active enzymes. The red algal polysaccharide porphyran contains the methoxy sugar 6-O-methyl-d-galactose (G6Me). In the degradation of porphyran, oxidative demethylation of this monosaccharide towards d-galactose and formaldehyde occurs, which is catalyzed by a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and its redox partners. In direct proximity to the genes encoding for the key enzymes of this oxidative demethylation, genes encoding for zinc-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) were identified, which seem to be conserved in porphyran utilizing marine Flavobacteriia. Considering the fact that dehydrogenases could play an auxiliary role in carbohydrate degradation, we aimed to elucidate the physiological role of these marine ADHs. Although our results reveal that the ADHs are not involved in formaldehyde detoxification, a knockout of the ADH gene causes a dramatic growth defect of Zobellia galactanivorans with G6Me as a substrate. This indicates that the ADH is required for G6Me utilization. Complete biochemical characterizations of the ADHs from Formosa agariphila KMM 3901T (FoADH) and Z. galactanivorans DsijT (ZoADH) were performed, and the substrate screening revealed that these enzymes preferentially convert aromatic aldehydes. Additionally, we elucidated the crystal structures of FoADH and ZoADH in complex with NAD+ and showed that the strict substrate specificity of these new auxiliary enzymes is based on a narrow active site. Key points: • Knockout of the ADH-encoding gene revealed its role in 6-O-methyl-D-galactose utilization, suggesting a new auxiliary activity in marine carbohydrate degradation. • Complete enzyme characterization indicated no function in a subsequent reaction of the oxidative demethylation, such as formaldehyde detoxification. • These marine ADHs preferentially convert aromatic compounds, and their strict substrate specificity is based on a narrow active site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bacterial strain designated KDG-16 T is isolated from a freshwater waterfall in Taiwan and characterized to determine its taxonomic affiliation. Cells of strain KDG-16 T are Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding, rod-shaped and form light yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurs at 20–25 °C, pH 6–7, and with 0% NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and an up-to-date bacterial core gene set reveal that strain KDG-16 T is affiliated with species in the genus Flavobacterium. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences shows that strain KDG-16 T shares the highest similarity with Flavobacterium terrigena DSM 17934 T (97.7%). The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain KDG-16 T and the closely related Flavobacterium species are below the cut-off values of 95–96, 90 and 70%, respectively, used for species demarcation. Strain KDG-16 T contains iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G and iso-C17:0 3-OH as the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipid profile consists of phosphatidylethanolamine, one uncharacterized aminophospholipid, one uncharacterized phospholipid, two uncharacterized aminolipids and two uncharacterized lipids. The major polyamine is homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone is MK-6. Genomic DNA G + C content of strain KDG-16 T is 31.6%. Based on the polyphasic taxonomic data obtained, strain KDG-16 T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium difficile sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KDG-16 T (= BCRC 81194 T = LMG 31332 T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial strain BBQ-18T, isolated from a freshwater lake in Taiwan, is characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicate that strain BBQ-18T forms a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Flavobacterium. Strain BBQ-18T is most closely related to Flavobacterium alvei HR-AYT with 98.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Strain BBQ-18T shows 70.5–89.5% average nucleotide identity and 13.7–38.2% digital DNA–DNA hybridization identity with the type strains of other closely related Flavobacterium species. The strain is Gram-stain negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding, rod shaped and formed yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurs at 25 °C, pH 6, and in the absence of NaCl. Strain BBQ-18T contains iso-C15:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c) and anteiso-C15:0 as the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipid profile consists of phosphatidylethanolamine, four uncharacterized aminophospholipids and two uncharacterized phospholipids. The major polyamine is homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone is MK-6. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA is 33.8%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic inference, demonstrate that strain BBQ-18T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium undicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BBQ-18T (= BCRC 81050T = LMG 30052T = KCTC 52810T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain KYPW7T, isolated from the Funglin Stream in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of strain KYPW7T were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore forming, non-motile rods and formed white colonies. Growth occurred at 15–30 °C (optimum 25 °C), at pH 6–8 (optimum pH 6.5) and with 0–1% NaCl (optimum 0%). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters showed that strain KYPW7T represents a novel genus in the family Flavobacteriaceae. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain KYPW7T was related to the species of the genera Chryseobacterium (91.8–96.0% sequence similarity), Bergeyella (95.1–95.8%), Cloacibacterium (94.5–95.7%), Daejeonia (95.6%) and Riemerella (94.0–95.0%). Strain KYPW7T showed less than 72% average nucleotide identity and less than 24% digital DNA–DNA hybridization identity compared to the type strains of related genera within the family Flavobacteriaceae. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and iso-C17:0 3-OH. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6 and the DNA G + C content was 36.8 mol%. The polar lipids had phosphatidylethanolamine, three uncharacterized aminophospholipids and an uncharacterized phospholipid. The polyamines contained homospermidine, putrescine and spermidine. On the basis of the genotypic and phenotypic data, strain KYPW7T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Amniculibacterium aquaticum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KYPW7T (= BCRC 81123T = LMG 30598T = KCTC 62512T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteroidetes is one of the dominant phyla of ocean bacterioplankton, yet its diversity and population structure is poorly understood. To advance in the delineation of ecologically meaningful units within this group, we constructed near full‐length 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from contrasting marine environments in the NW Mediterranean. Based on phylogeny and the associated ecological variables (depth and season), 24 different Bacteroidetes clades were delineated. By considering their relative abundance (from iTag amplicon sequencing studies), we described the distribution patterns of each of these clades, delimiting them as Ecologically Significant Taxonomic Units (ESTUs). Spatially, there was almost no overlap among ESTUs at different depths. In deep waters there was predominance of Owenweeksia, Leeuwenhoekiella, Muricauda‐related genera, and some depth‐associated ESTUs within the NS5 and NS2b marine clades. Seasonally, multi‐annual dynamics of recurring ESTUs were present with dominance of some ESTUs within the NS4, NS5 and NS2b marine clades along most of the year, but with variable relative frequencies between months. A drastic change towards the predominance of Formosa‐related ESTUs and one ESTU from the NS5 marine clade was typically present after the spring bloom. Even though there are no isolates available for these ESTUs to determine their physiology, correlation analyses identified the environmental preference of some of them. Overall, our results suggest that there is a high degree of niche specialisation within these closely related clades. This work constitutes a step forward in disentangling the ecology of marine Bacteroidetes, which are essential players in organic matter processing in the oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strictly aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium (strain CC- SAMT-1T) showing gliding motility was isolated from coastal seawater of China Sea, Taiwan. Strain CC- SAMT-1T synthesizes all- trans-zeaxanthin (6.5 ± 0.5 mg g−1 dry biomass) as a predominant xanthophyll carotenoid. As determined by 16 S rRNA gene analysis, strain CC- SAMT-1T shared very high sequence similarity to the members of the genera Mariniflexile (96.1-95.3%) and Gaetbulibacter (96.0-95.9%); however, it formed a distinct phyletic lineage distantly associated with Mariniflexile species. Polar lipid profile constitutes phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, four unidentified lipids, and an unidentified glycolipid. Strain CC- SAMT-1T contains excessive unidentified aminolipid lipid ( AL2-4) and glycolipid contents, and therefore clearly distinct from Mariniflexile species. Major fatty acids (> 5% of total fatty acids) were iso- C15:0 (14.8%), iso- C17:0 3- OH (11.8%), iso- C15:1 G (10.6%), anteiso- C15:0 (9.7%), C16:0 (8.1%), iso- C16:0 3- OH (7.9%), iso- C15:0 3- OH (7.5%), and summed feature 3 (containing C16:1 ω6 c and/or C16:1 ω7 c) (7.5%). Menaquinone-6 ( MK-6) was major respiratory quinone. DNA G+ C content was 33.7 mol%. Based on polyphasic taxonomy, strain CC- SAMT-1T represents a novel genus and species in the family Flavobacteriaceae for which the name Siansivirga zeaxanthinifaciens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC- SAMT-1T (= BCRC 80315T = JCM 17682T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial strain NST-14 T , isolated from a freshwater fish pond in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. The strain was Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped and formed pink colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 30 °C, pH 7 and in the absence of NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain NST-14 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Hymenobacter . Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NST-14 T had the highest similarity to Hymenobacter actinosclerus CCUG 39621 T (97.7%), Hymenobacter amundsenii P5136 T (97.3%) and Hymenobacter humicola P6312 T (96.9%). Strain NST-14 T showed 75.1-85.3 % average nucleotide identity, 73.7-89.8 % average amino acid identity and 14.5-26.0 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization with the type strains of other closely related Hymenobacter species. Strain NST-14 T contained iso-C 15 : 0 , C 16 : 1  ω 5 c and summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 16 : 1  ω 6 c ) as the predominant fatty acids. The major hydroxyl fatty acids were iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C 15 : 0 3-OH. The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified glycolipid, four unidentified aminophospholipids, one unidentified aminolipid, two unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified lipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.4 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic inference, demonstrate that strain NST-14 T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Hymenobacter , for which the name Hymenobacter piscis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NST-14 T (=BCRC 81249 T =LMG 31686 T ).

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has high incidence in the United States, but less so in East Asian countries such as Taiwan. The reason for this is not understood, but microbial studies could reveal important epidemiologic insights. We hypothesized that the circulating strains of C. difficile and the gut microbiota differ between the United States and Taiwan. Methods Patients with diarrhea ± CDI from the University of Michigan and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were included. CDI was defined by + enzyme immunoassay for the glutamate dehydrogenase gene and toxins A/B, with reflex to tcdB gene PCR for discordants. C. difficile was isolated by anaerobic culture and characterized by PCR ribotype. The fecal microbiota was assessed by sequence analysis of 16S rRNA-encoding gene amplicons targeting the V4 region. Amplicon sequences were processed using the mothur bioinformatics pipeline, with an operational taxonomic unit (OTU) defined by < = 3% sequence homology. Analysis was performed via logistic regression, principal coordinates (PCoA), and ANOVA. Results Community diversity by Shannon index of CDI- patients was lower (Figure 1); this difference was greater in Taiwan (P <.001, OR = 3.9 per unit Shannon). Taiwanese CDI- patients had lower Bacteroidetes relative abundance (RA) (Figure 2). The Taiwanese CDI- group also differed on PCoA and ANOVA (Figure 3, P <.001). OTU1 (genus Firmicutes) was depleted in CDI+ patients (P <.001, OR = 0.69 per 10% RA increase). Circulating ribotypes (Table 1) differ between countries, with no epidemic strains (R027/R078) present in Taiwan (P =.027). R027 and 014/020 comprised > 50% of US isolates while > 50% of Taiwanese isolates were R002. Conclusion Taiwan and US CDI+ patients differ in dominant ribotypes. It is overall difficult to differentiate diarrheal CDI+ and CDI- patients by the microbiome. Taiwanese CDI- patients are outliers, and possible reasons (e.g. differential burden of parasitic infection; diet) require further study. The increased diversity and lower Bacteroidetes in CDI+ vs. CDI- diarrheal patients contrast with prior studies that instead compared with CDI- non-diarrheal patients. Circulating strains in Taiwan include no epidemic variants; whether this explains the differential incidence needs further study. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial strain NST-5 T , isolated from a fish pond in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain NST-5 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Flavobacterium . Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NST-5 T showed the highest similarity to Flavobacterium enshiense DK69 T (94.9 %), Flavobacterium ahnfeltiae 10Alg 130 T (94.8 %) and Flavobacterium vireti THG-SM1 T (94.8 %). Strain NST-5 T showed 68.9-72.5% average nucleotide identity and 19.1-23.7% digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the type strains of other close related Flavobacterium species. Cells of the strain were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding, rod-shaped and formed yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 30 °C, pH 7 and with 0.5% NaCl. Strain NST-5 T contained iso-C 15:0 , C 15:0 and iso-C 16:0 as the predominant fatty acids. The major hydroxyl fatty acids were iso-C 16:0 3-OH and iso-C 17:0 3-OH. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, three uncharacterized aminophospholipids, two uncharacterized phospholipids and one uncharacterized aminolipid. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 35.5 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic inference, demonstrate that strain NST-5 T should be classified as a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium , for which the name Flavobacterium ichthyis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NST-5 T (=BCRC 81198 T =LMG 31341 T ).

A bacterial strain designated FSY-15 T was isolated from a freshwater mesocosm in Taiwan and characterised using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Cells of strain FSY-15 T were Gram-negative, aerobic, non-spore forming, non-motile rods and formed orange coloured colonies. Growth occurred at 20-30 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6-7.5 (optimum, pH 7) and with 0-0.5 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain FSY-15 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the the family Cytophagaceae . Strain FSY-15 T was most closely related to the genera Pseudarcicella and Arcicella , and the levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with respect to members of related genera are less than 94.1 %. Strain FSY-15 T showed less than 68.8 % average nucleotide identity and less than 24.7 % digital DNA-DNA hybridisation identity compared to the type strains of related genera within the family Cytophagaceae . The predominant fatty acids were iso-C 15 : 0 , C 16 : 1 ω 5c and the major hydroxyl fatty acid was iso-C 15 : 0 3-OH. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7 and the DNA G+C content was 35.8 mol%. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and several uncharacterised aminophospholipid, aminolipid, phospholipid and lipid. The major polyamine was spermidine. On the basis of the genotypic and phenotypic data, strain FSY-15 T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Cytophagaceae , for which the name Sandaracinomonas limnophila gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FSY-15 T (=BCRC 81011 T =LMG 29732 T =KCTC 52445 T ).

A polyphasic taxonomy approach was used to characterize strain YBJ-36 T , isolated from a freshwater lake in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of an up-to-date bacterial core gene set (92 protein clusters), indicated that strain YBJ-36 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Mucilaginibacter. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity indicated that strain YBJ-36 T is closely related to species within the genus Mucilaginibacter (93.8-97.8% sequence similarity) and is most similar to Mucilaginibacter fluminis TTM-2 T (97.8%), followed by Mucilaginibacter roseus TTM-1 T (97.2%). Microbiological analyses demonstrated that strain YBJ-36 T is Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, surrounded by a thick capsule, and forms pink-colored colonies. Strain YBJ-36 T grew between 20-40°C (optimal range, 35-37°C), pH 5.5-7.0 (optimal pH of 6) and 0-2% NaCl (optimal concentration, 0.5%). The predominant fatty acids of strain YBJ-36 T are iso-C 15:0 and summed feature 3 (C 16:1 ω7c and/or C 16:1 ω6c), the major polar lipid is phosphatidylethanolamine, the major polyamine is homospermidine, and the major isoprenoid quinone is MK-7. The draft genome is approximately 4.63 Mb in size with a G+C content of 42.8 mol%. Strain YBJ-36 T exhibited less than 35% DNA-DNA relatedness with Mucilaginibacter fluminis TTM-2 T and Mucilaginibacter roseus TTM-1 T . Based on phenotypic and genotypic properties and phylogenetic inference, strain YBJ-36 T should be classified in a novel species of the genus Mucilaginibacter, for which the name Mucilaginibacter limnophilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YBJ-36 T (= BCRC 81056 T = KCTC 52811 T = LMG 30058 T ).

Strain LLJ-11 T , isolated from water sampled from a freshwater stream in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of strain LLJ-11 T were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding, rod-shaped and formed translucent yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 25 °C, pH 7 and 0 % NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain LLJ-11 T is affiliated with species in the genus Flavobacterium. Strain LLJ-11 T was most closely related to Flavobacterium amniphilum KYPY10 T with 98.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence identity. The DNA-DNA relatedness of strain LLJ-11 T with respect to Flavobacterium species was less than 35 %. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain LLJ-11 T and the type strains of other closely related Flavobacterium species were 70.0-76.3 % and 21.1-23.9 %, respectively. Strain LLJ-11 T contained iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c) and summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16 : 0) as the predominant fatty acids. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, three uncharacterized aminophospholipids and two uncharacterized phospholipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The DNA G+C content was 34.8 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, strain LLJ-11 T is considered a representative of a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium. The name Flavobacterium amnicola sp. nov. is proposed, with strain LLJ-11 T (=BCRC 81124 T =LMG 30599 T =KCTC 62514 T ) as the type strain.

Strain WWJ-16 T was isolated from a freshwater reservoir in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and an up-to-date bacterial core gene set (92 protein clusters) indicated that strain WWJ-16 T is affiliated with the species in the genus Flavobacterium. Strain WWJ-16 T was most closely related to Flavobacterium fontis MIC3010 T (97.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence identity) and Flavobacterium squillarum CMJ-5 T (97.6 %). Strain WWJ-16 T showed 77.4 % average nucleotide identity and 20.6 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with F. fontis MIC3010 T . Cells of strain WWJ-16 T were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped and formed yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 25 °C, pH 7 and in 0.5-1 % NaCl (w/v). Strain WWJ-16 T contained iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C15 : 0 as predominant fatty acids. The major hydroxyl fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C16 : 0 3-OH. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, four uncharacterized aminophospholipids and four uncharacterized phospholipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain WWJ-16 T was 39.4 mol%, as determined by genome sequencing. The genotypic and phenotypic characteristics indicate that strain WWJ-16 T represents a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium stagni sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WWJ-16 T (=BCRC 81125 T =LMG 30600 T =KCTC 62515 T ).

Strain ICH-30 T was isolated from a freshwater fish pond in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and coding sequences of 92 protein clusters indicated that strain ICH-30 T formed a phylogenetic lineage in the genus Flavobacterium. Strain ICH-30 T was most closely related to Flavobacteriumlacus NP180 T with 97.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Strain ICH-30 T showed 70.0-83.1 % average nucleotide identity and 16.5-23.7 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization identity with the type strains of other closely related Flavobacterium species. Cells of strain ICH-30 T were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped and formed dark orange colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 20-30 °C, pH 8-9 and 0-0.5 % NaCl. Strain ICH-30 T contained iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C15 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids. The major hydroxyl fatty acids were iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C16 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, six uncharacterized aminophospholipids, one uncharacterized phospholipid and two uncharacterized lipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The only isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 34.3 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, strain ICH-30 T should be classified as a novel species, for which the name Flavobacterium piscinae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ICH-30 T (=BCRC 81122 T =LMG 30579 T =KCTC 62513 T ).

Strain TAPW14 T was isolated from a freshwater creek in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TAPW14 T belonged to the genus Flavobacterium and was most closely related to Flavobacterium akiainvivens IK-1 T (96.6 % sequence identity) and Flavobacterium hauense BX12 T (96.0 %) and less than 96 % sequence similarity to other members of the genus. Cells of strain TAPW14 T were Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, motile by gliding, rod-shaped and formed white colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 20 °C, pH 7 and in the presence of 0.5 % NaCl. Strain TAPW14 T contained summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c), iso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, three uncharacterized aminophospholipids, one uncharacterized phospholipid and one uncharacterized lipid. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 46.0 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, strain TAPW14 T should be classified as a novel species, for which the name Flavobacteriumniveum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TAPW14 T (=BCRC 81055 T =LMG 30057 T =KCTC 52808 T ).

A novel bacterium, designated strain TAPY6 T , was isolated from a freshwater creek in Taiwan. The strain was Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile-by-gliding, rod-shaped and formed translucent yellow colonies. Optimal growth occurred at 20-30 °C, pH 6 and in the absence of NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TAPY6 T belonged to the genus Flavobacterium and was most closely related to Flavobacterium succinicans LMG 10402 T (97.3 % sequence similarity) and Flavobacterium glycines Gm-149 T (96.3 %). Strain TAPY6 T contained C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, five uncharacterized aminophospholipids, two uncharacterized phospholipids and one uncharacterized aminolipid. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 39.8 mol%. Phenotypic characteristics of the novel strain also differed from those of the closest related species of the genus Flavobacterium. On the basis of the genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, strain TAPY6 T represents a novel species in the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium riviphilum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TAPY6 T (=BCRC 81007 T =LMG 29728 T =KCTC 52444 T ).

A bright-red bacterial strain, TAPP3 T , was isolated from a freshwater sample taken from the Wanan Creek in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that TAPP3 T represented a member of the genus Hymenobacter and showed the highest levels of sequence similarity to Hymenobacter ginsengisoli DCY57 T (97.0 %) and Hymenobacter marinus KJ035 T (96.5 %) and less than 96.2 % with other members of the genus. Cells of TAPP3 T were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile by gliding, rods that were surrounded by a thick capsule. Growth occurred at 20-35 °C (optimum, 25-30 °C), at pH 6.5-7.5 (optimum, pH 7) and with 0-1 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %). TAPP3 T contained iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 1ω5c as the predominant fatty acids. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, six uncharacterized aminophospholipids and four uncharacterized lipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.8 mol%. The DNA-DNA relatedness of TAPP3 T with respect to Hymenobacter ginsengisoli DCY57 T was less than 40 %. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, TAPP3 T should be classified as representing a novel species, for which the name Hymenobacter rivuli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TAPP3 T (=BCRC 80979 T =LMG 29559 T =KCTC 52236 T ).

A pink-coloured bacterial strain, TAPP7 T , was isolated from a freshwater creek in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TAPP7 T belonged to the genus Mucilaginibacter and showed highest similarity with Mucilaginibacter ginsengisoli B4Y-8 T (97.6 %) and Mucilaginibacter carri PR0008K T (96.9 %). Cells of strain TAPP7 T were Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-accumulating and short-rod-shaped. Growth occurred at 10-30 °C (optimum, 15-20 °C), at pH 4-8 (optimum, pH 6) and with 0-1 % NaCl (optimum, 0.5 %). The predominant fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and iso-C15 : 0. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine and several uncharacterized aminophospholipids and phospholipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 45.6 mol%. The DNA-DNA relatedness of strain TAPP7 T with respect to Mucilaginibacter ginsengisoli B4Y-8 T was less than 35 %. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, strain TAPP7 T should be classified as a novel species, for which the name Mucilaginibacter amnicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TAPP7 T (=BCRC 80976 T =LMG 29556 T =KCTC 52238 T ).

Strain ANT-18 T , isolated from a water sample taken from the Longtoushan Spring in Taiwan, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Cells of strain ANT-18 T were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile by gliding rods that were surrounded by a thick capsule and it formed pink colonies. Growth occurred at 20-37 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6-8 (optimum, pH 7) and with 0-1 % NaCl (w/; optimum, 0 %). Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that strain ANT-18 T belongs to the genus Hymenobacter and showed the highest levels of sequence similarity to Hymenobacter ocellatus Myx 2105 T (97.8 %) and Hymenobacter paludis KBP-30 T (97.7 %). Strain ANT-18 T contained iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, C18 : 0 and summed feature 4 (iso-C17 : 1 I and/or anteiso-C17 : 1 B) as the predominant fatty acids. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, one uncharacterized aminolipid, two uncharacterized aminophospholipids, two uncharacterized glycolipids and seven uncharacterized lipids. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain ANT-18 T was 63.6 mol%. The DNA-DNA relatedness values of strain ANT-18 T with respect to H. ocellatus Myx 2105 T and H. paludis KBP-30 T were less than 35 %. On the basis of the phylogenetic inference and phenotypic data, strain ANT-18 T is recognized to be a representative of a novel species within the genus Hymenobacter. The name Hymenobacter gummosus sp. nov. is proposed, with strain ANT-18 T (=BCRC 80966 T =LMG 29477 T =KCTC 52166 T ) as the type strain.