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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376139
Research Project: Urban Small Farms and Gardens Pest Management

Location: Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory

Title: Chromobacterium paludis sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from a Chesapeake Bay marsh

Author
item Blackburn, Michael - Mike
item FARRAR, ROBERT - Collaborator
item Sparks, Michael
item Kuhar, Daniel
item Mowery, Joseph
item Mitchell, Ashaki - Teddi
item Gundersen-Rindal, Dawn

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/21/2020
Publication Date: 10/15/2020
Citation: Blackburn, M.B., Farrar, R.R., Sparks, M., Kuhar, D.J., Mowery, J.D., Mitchell, A.D., Gundersen, D.E. 2020. Chromobacterium paludis sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from a Chesapeake Bay marsh. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004509.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004509

Interpretive Summary: The discovery that several species of Chromobacterium produce insecticidal compounds with activity against many pest insects has increased interest in this genus of bacteria. Here we describe a previously unknown species of Chromobacterium, which was discovered in a marsh near the mouth of the Nanticoke River in Maryland, USA. The new bacterium, named Chromobacterium paludis, was determined to be a new species based on comparisons of its genome sequence with those of known Choromobacterium, and was found to be most closely related to C. phragmitis and C. amazonense. While the C. paludis shows little insecticidal activity itself, detailed genomic comparisons with the closely related insecticidal C. phragmitis may reveal the genes responsible for the insect killing compounds produced by the latter, and will be of interest to scientists searching for ways to boost production of the insecticidal compounds produced by Chromobacterium.

Technical Abstract: Two isolates of Gram-reaction-negative, motile, violet-pigmented bacteria were isolated from a small pool in marshland near the mouth of the Nanticoke River in Maryland, USA. The isolates IIBBL 257-1T and IIBBL 257-2 had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences as determined by PCR, and highly similar fatty acid and biochemical profiles. 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated the isolates belonged to the genus Chromobacterium. Genomic sequencing of IIBBL 257-1T revealed a genome of 4.27 Mb, with a G+C content of 63.6%. Whole genome comparisons with other members of the Chromobacterium using JSpecies, and the genome BLAST distance phylogeny approach, indicated that among described species, IIBBL 257-1T was most closely related to C. amazonense and C. phragmitis. Comparison of the IIBBL 257-1T genome with those of type strains of these species resulted in ANIb and dDDH values of ca. 85 and 30%, respectively, for both. These results demonstrate that IIBBL 257-1T and IIBBL 257-2 represent a new taxon within the genus Chromobacterium. We propose the name Chromobacterium paludis sp. nov. for this taxon; the type strain is IIBBL 257-1T (= NRRL B-65555T = JCM 33770T).