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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Crop Bioprotection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #377978
Research Project: Development of New Production Methodologies for Biocontrol Agents and Fastidious Microbes to Improve Plant Disease Management

Location: Crop Bioprotection Research

Title: Description of Cohnella zeiphila sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from maize callus cultures

Author
item Johnson, Eric
item Dowd, Patrick
item Skory, Christopher - Chris
item Dunlap, Christopher

Submitted to: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/23/2020
Publication Date: 1/3/2021
Citation: Johnson, E.T., Dowd, P.F., Skory, C.D., Dunlap, C.A. 2021. Description of Cohnella zeiphila sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from maize callus cultures. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 114:37-44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-020-01495-2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-020-01495-2

Interpretive Summary: A bacterium was isolated from a contaminated culture of corn cells. Experiments measured the metabolism and growth characteristics of the bacterium and showed that this bacterium was unique from similar species due to its slow growth and limited ability to grow on nutrition supplied from a single source of carbohydrate. Additionally, the bacterium produces a unique antibiotic that warrants further investigation. The entire genome of this bacterium was identified and characterized and indicated that the bacterium is a unique species. The name of the bacterium is proposed to be Cohnella zeiphila.

Technical Abstract: A Gram-stain positive, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium designated as strain CBP-2801T was isolated as a contaminant from a culture containing maize callus in Peoria, Illinois, United States. The strain is unique relative to other Cohnella species due to its slow growth and reduced number of sole carbon sources. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA indicated that strain CBP-2801T is a Cohnella bacterium and showed the highest similarity to Cohnella xylanlytica (96.8%). Genome-based phylogeny and genomic comparisons based on average nucleotide identity confirmed the strain to be a novel species of Cohnella. Growth occurs at 15- 45 °C (optimum 40 °C), pH 5-7 (optimum pH 6) and with 0-1 % NaCl. The predominant fatty acids are anteiso-15:0 and 18:1 '6c. Genome mining for secondary metabolites identified a putative biosynthetic cluster that encodes for a novel lasso peptide. The DNA G + C content is 58.7 mol %. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic and biochemical data strain CBP-2801T represents a novel species, for which the name Cohnella zeiphila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CBP-2801T (= DSM = ATCC).