The Ectothiorhodospiraceae family represents purple sulfur bacteria of the Gammaproteobacteria found primarily in alkaline soda lakes of moderate to extremely high salinity. The main microscopically visible characteristic separating them from the Chromatiaceae is the excretion of the intermediate elemental sulfur formed during oxidation of sulfide prior to complete oxidation to sulfate rather than storing it in the periplasm. We present a comparative study of 38 genomes of all species of phototrophic Ectothiorhodospiraceae. We also include a comparison with those chemotrophic bacteria that have been assigned to the family previously and critically reevaluate this assignment. The data demonstrate the separation of Halorhodospira species in a major phylogenetic branch distant from other Ectothiorhodospiraceae and support their separation into a new family, for which the name Halorhodospiraceae fam. nov. is proposed. In addition, the green-colored, bacteriochlorophyll-containing species Halorhodospira halochloris and Halorhodospira abdelmalekii were transferred to the new genus Halochlorospira gen. nov. of this family. The data also enable classification of several so far unclassified isolates and support the separation of Ectothiorhodospira shaposhnikovii and Ect. vacuolata as well as Ect. mobilis and Ect. marismortui as distinct species.
Keywords: Ectothiorhodospiraceae; Halorhodospiraceae; genomic phylogeny; new family and genus; purple sulfur bacteria.