AUTHOR=Jiang Zhu-Ming , Zhang Bing-Huo , Sun Hong-Min , Zhang Tao , Yu Li-Yan , Zhang Yu-Qin 

TITLE=Properties of Modestobacter deserti sp. nov., a Kind of Novel Phosphate-Solubilizing Actinobacteria Inhabited in the Desert Biological Soil Crusts

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.742798

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.742798

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Three Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, motile actinobacterial strains designated as CPCC 205119<sup>T</sup>, CPCC 205215, and CPCC 205251 were isolated from different biological soil crust samples collected from Tengger Desert, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison of these three strains showed they had almost identical 16S rRNA genes, which were closely related to members of the family <italic>Geodermatophilaceae</italic>, with the highest similarities of 96.3–97.3% to the species of <italic>Modestobacter</italic>. In the phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, these isolates clustered into a subclade next to the branch containing the species of <italic>Modestobacter lapidis</italic> and <italic>Modestobacter multiseptatus</italic>, within the lineage of the genus <italic>Modestobacter</italic>. The comparative genomic characteristics (values of ANI, dDDH, AAI, and POCP) and the phenotypic properties (morphological, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics) of these isolates readily supported to affiliate them to the genus <italic>Modestobacter</italic> as a single separate species. For which, we proposed that the isolates CPCC 205119<sup>T</sup>, CPCC 205215, and CPCC 205251 represent a novel species of the genus <italic>Modestobacter</italic> as <italic>Modestobacter deserti</italic> sp. nov. CPCC 205119<sup>T</sup> (=I12A-02624=NBRC 113528<sup>T</sup>=KCTC 49201<sup>T</sup>) is the type strain. The genome of strain CPCC 205119<sup>T</sup> consisted of one chromosome (4,843,235bp) containing 4,424 coding genes, 48 tRNA genes, five rRNA genes, three other ncRNA genes, and 101 pseudogenes, with G+C content of 74.7%. The whole-genome sequences analysis indicated that this species contained alkaline phosphatase genes (<italic>phoA</italic>/<italic>phoD</italic>), phosphate transport-related genes (<italic>phoU</italic>, <italic>phnC</italic>, <italic>phnD</italic>, <italic>phnE</italic>, <italic>phoB</italic>, <italic>phoH</italic>, <italic>phoP</italic>, <italic>phoR</italic>, <italic>pitH</italic>, <italic>ppk</italic>, <italic>pstA</italic>, <italic>pstB</italic>, <italic>pstC</italic>, and <italic>pstS</italic>), trehalose-phosphate synthase gene (<italic>otsA</italic>), trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase gene (<italic>otsB</italic>) and other encoding genes for the properties that help the microorganisms to adapt to harsh environmental conditions prevalent in deserts. Strains of this species could solubilize tricalcium phosphate [Ca<sub>3</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>] and phytin, assimilate pyrophosphate, thiophosphate, dithiophosphate, phosphoenol pyruvate, 2-deoxy-<sc>d</sc>-glucose-6-phosphate, and cysteamine-S-phosphate.</p>