A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and yellow-colored bacterium, designated 17J68-12T, was isolated from soil in Jeju Island, Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 17J68-12T formed a distinct lineage within the family Chitinophagaceae and was mostly related to members of Flaviaesturariibacter luteus (97.5%), Flaviaesturariibacter amylovorans (96.8%) and Flaviaesturariibacter terrae (96.8%). Growth was observed at 18-42 °C (optimum 30 °C) in R2A broth at pH 7.0. The major cellular fatty acids of the strain 17J68-12 T were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c), summed feature 1 (C15:1 iso-H and/or C13:0 3-OH), and iso-C15:0. The predominant respiratory quinones are MK-7 and MK-6. The major polar lipid was identified as phosphatidylethanolamine. Based on biochemical, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, the strain 17J68-12T represents a novel bacterial species within the family Chitinophagaceae, for which the name Flaviaesturariibacter flavus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Flaviaesturariibacter flavus is 17J68-12T (= KCTC 62219T = JCM 33179T).
Keywords: Chitinophagaceae; Flaviaesturariibacter; Novel species; Taxonomy.