Venatorbacter cucullus gen. nov sp. nov a novel bacterial predator

A novel Gram-stain negative, aerobic, halotolerant, motile, rod-shaped, predatory bacterium ASxL5(T), was isolated from a bovine slurry tank in Nottinghamshire, UK using Campylobacter hyointestinalis as prey. Other Campylobacter species and members of the Enterobacteriaceae were subsequently found to serve as prey. Weak axenic growth on Brain Heart Infusion agar was achieved upon subculture without host cells. The optimal growth conditions were 37 °C, at pH 7. Transmission electron microscopy revealed some highly unusual morphological characteristics related to prey availability. Phylogenetic analyses using 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate was related to members of the Oceanospirillaceae family but could not be classified clearly as a member of any known genus. Whole genome sequencing of ASxL5(T) confirmed the relationship to members the Oceanospirillaceae. Database searches revealed that several ASxL5(T) share 16S rRNA gene sequences with several uncultured bacteria from marine, and terrestrial surface and subsurface water. We propose that strain ASxL5(T) represents a novel species in a new genus. We propose the name Venatorbacter cucullus gen. nov., sp. nov. with ASxL5(T) as the type strain.