A novel aerobic, heterotrophic, prosthecate bacterium, designated26III/A02/215T, was isolated from surface water of the north-westernMediterranean Sea. Cells stained Gram-negative and were straightto slightly curved rods, forming red colonies on agar plates.The strain grew at 15–37 °C inclusive (optimum30 °C) and grew optimally at seawater salinity. Growthwas observed on organic acids, amino acids and complex organicsubstrates. The fatty acids (>5 %) detected in strain 26III/A02/215Twere C17 : 16c, C18 : 17c and C17 : 0. The lipid pattern indicatedthe presence of phosphatidylglycerol, glucuronopyranosyldiglyceride,monoglycosyldiglyceride, an unidentified glycolipid and threeunidentified phospholipids. Phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerolwere absent. Ubiquinone Q-10 was the only respiratory lipoquinone.The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 46.8 mol%. Comparative16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain 26III/A02/215Tbelonged to the Hyphomonas–Hirschia–Robiginitomaculumbranch of the order Caulobacterales. This affiliation was consistentwith the results of polar lipid analyses. Among this group,the novel isolate was most closely related to Robiginitomaculumantarcticum (93.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to thetype strain). On the basis of genotypic, chemotaxonomic andphenotypic distinctness, we propose a novel genus, Hellea gen.nov., with Hellea balneolensis sp. nov. as the type species.The type strain of Hellea balneolensis is 26III/A02/215T (=DSM19091T =CIP 109500T =OOB 269T).
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6c, C18 : 1
