A Gram-positive, non-motile, rod- or coccoid-shaped Isoptericola-like bacterium, strain DS-3(T), was isolated from a soil sample from Dokdo, Korea, and its taxonomic position was investigated by a polyphasic approach. The organism grew optimally at 30 degrees C and pH 7.0-8.0. Strain DS-3(T) had the peptidoglycan type based on l-lys-d-Asp, and galactose, glucose, rhamnose and ribose as the whole-cell sugars. It contained MK-9(H(4)) as the predominant menaquinone and anteiso-C(15 : 0) and iso-C(15 : 0) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and two unidentified glycolipids. The DNA G+C content was 74.1 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain DS-3(T) was most closely related to members of the genus Isoptericola. Similarity values between the 16S rRNA gene sequences of strain DS-3(T) and the type strains of Isoptericola species ranged from 98.0 to 98.4 %. DNA-DNA relatedness values (11-23 %) and differential phenotypic properties demonstrated that strain DS-3(T) was distinguishable from recognized Isoptericola species. On the basis of phenotypic properties and phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, strain DS-3(T) represents a novel species in the genus Isoptericola, for which the name Isoptericola dokdonensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DS-3(T) (=KCTC 19128(T)=CIP 108921(T)).