Belnapia mucosa sp. nov. and Belnapia arida sp. nov., isolated from desert biocrust

Two novel Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, cocci-shaped, non-motile, non-spore forming, pink-pigmented bacteria designated strains T6(T) and T18(T), were isolated from a biocrust (biological soil crust) sample from the vicinity of the Tabernas Desert (Spain). Both strains were catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, and grew under mesophilic, neutrophilic and non-halophilic conditions. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequences, strains T6(T) and T18(T) showed similarities with Belnapia rosea CGMCC 1.10758(T) and Belnapia moabensis CP2C(T) (98.11 and 98.55% gene sequence similarity, respectively). The DNA G+C content was 69.80 and 68.96% for strains T6(T) and T18(T), respectively; the average nucleotide identity by blast (ANIb) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values confirmed their adscription to two novel species within the genus Belnapia. The predominant fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C(18 : 1)ω7c/C(18 : 1)ω6c), C(16 : 0), C(18 : 1) 2-OH and summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)ω7c/C(16 : 1)ω6c). According to he results of the polyphasic study, strains T6(T) and T18(T) represent two novel species in the genus Belnapia (which currently includes only three species), for which names Belnapia mucosa sp. nov. (type strain T6(T) = CECT 30228(T)=DSM 112073(T)) and Belnapia arida sp. nov. (type strain T18(T)=CECT 30229(T)=DSM 112074(T)) are proposed, respectively.