Deinococcus misasensis and Deinococcus roseus, novel members of the genus Deinococcus, isolated from a radioactive site in Japan

Two gamma- and UV-radiation resistant, Gram-positive, red- or pink-pigmented, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, oxidase- and catalase-positive bacterial strains, TDMA-25T and TDMA-uv51T, were isolated from fresh water collected at Misasa, a radioactive site in Japan. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed both in a distinct lineage in the family Deinococcaceae, and the highest degrees of sequence similarity determined belonged to Deinococcus maricopensis LB-34T (88.8–89.3%), Deinococcus pimensis KR-235T (86.4–86.7%) and Deinococcus yavapaiensis KR-236T (86.1%). The DNA G+C content of the strains was 53–58 mol%. The major respiratory quinone was MK-8. The predominant fatty acids were C15:0 iso, C16:0 iso, C13:0 iso, C17:0 iso, C16:0, C13:0 anteiso, C15:0 and C12:0 iso. The strains degraded gelatin, casein, starch and Tween 80. Unique physiological characteristics, differences in their fatty acid profiles, and genotypic and phylogenetic features, differentiated strains TDMA-25T and TDMA-uv51T from closely related Deinococcus species. Hence, the two strains are described as novel species of the genus Deinococcus. The names Deinococcus misasensis sp. nov. (type strain TDMA-25T=JCM 14369=NBRC 102116=CCUG 53610) and Deinococcus roseus sp. nov. (type strain TDMA-uv51T=JCM 14370=NBRC 102117=CCUG 53611) are proposed.