Characterization and Distribution of Agar-degrading Steroidobacter agaridevorans sp. nov., Isolated from Rhizosphere Soils

The environment of plant rhizosphere soil differs from that of non-rhizosphere soil due to the secretion of mucilage polysaccharides from the roots. This environment is regarded as one of the preferential habitats for agar-degrading bacteria. In a previous study, agar-degrading Steroidobacter agariperforans KA5-B(T) was isolated from agar-enriched agricultural soil using diffusible metabolites from Rhizobiales bacteria. Based on the hypothesis that similar characteristic bacteria still exist in the rhizosphere, isolation was performed using rhizosphere soils. Agar-degrading SA29-B(T) and YU21-B were isolated from onion and soybean rhizosphere soils. The 16S rRNA genes of these strains showed ≥98.7% identities with the most closely related strain KA5-B(T). However, differences were noted in polysaccharide utilization, and average nucleotide identities were <95–96% against strain KA5-B(T), indicating that they are different species from S. agariperforans KA5-B(T). To investigate the distribution of bacterial sequences affiliated with novel strains, a primer set was designed and a meta-analysis of the 16S rRNA gene was performed. Sequences were widely distributed in rhizospheres throughout Japan, but varied in plant- and region-dependent manners. Regarding phenotypic characterization, distinguishable features were observed in growth temperatures, pH, and dominant fatty acids. SA29-B(T) and YU21-B grew at 15–40°C and pH 6.0–12 and contained C(16:0) as the dominant cell fatty acid, whereas KA5-B(T) showed no growth at 40°C and pH 12 and contained a moderate amount of C(16:0). Based on these characteristics, SA29-B(T) (JCM 333368(T)=KCTC 72223(T)) and YU21-B (JCM 333367=KCTC 72222) represent novel species in the genus Steroidobacter, for which the name Steroidobacter agaridevorans sp. nov. is proposed.