We isolated three orange or yellow pigment-producing marine bacteria, strains 04OKA-13-27 (MBIC08261), 04OKA-17-12 (MBIC08260), and YM6-073 (MBIC06409), off the coast of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. These strains were classified as novel species of the family Flavobacteriaceae based on their 16S rRNA gene sequence. They were cultured, and the major carotenoids produced were purified by chromatographic methods. Their structures were determined by spectral data to be (3R)-saproxanthin (strain 04OKA-13-27), (3R,2'S)-myxol (strain YM6-073), and (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin (strains YM6-073 and 04OKA-17-12). Saproxanthin and myxol, which are monocyclic carotenoids rarely found in nature, demonstrated significant antioxidative activities against lipid peroxidation in the rat brain homogenate model and a neuro-protective effect from L-glutamate toxicity.

Urukthapelstatin A, a novel cyclic peptide, was isolated from the cultured mycelia of marine-derived Thermoactinomycetaceae bacterium Mechercharimyces asporophorigenens YM11-542. The peptide was purified by solvent extraction, silica gel chromatography, ODS flash chromatography, and finally by preparative HPLC. Urukthapelstatin A dose-dependently inhibited the growth of human lung cancer A549 cells with an IC 50 value of 12 nM. Urukthapelstatin A also showed potent cytotoxic activity against a human cancer cell line panel.

Two non-motile, rod-shaped gammaproteobacteria were isolated from marine sponges collected from the coast of Japan at Numazu. The isolates were oxidase- and catalase-positive facultative anaerobes that fermented carbohydrates. They required sodium ions for growth and were slightly halophilic, growing in the presence of 1.0–5.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum of 2.0 % NaCl). Under aerobic conditions, the major isoprenoid quinones were ubiquinone-9 and menaquinone-9 and the minor quinones were ubiquinone-8 and menaquinone-8. The major cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0 and the hydroxy acids were C10 : 0 3-OH and C12 : 0 3-OH. The DNA G+C content was 48.3–48.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolates within the radiation of the genus Endozoicomonas in a broad clade of uncultured clones recovered from various marine invertebrates. The isolates exhibited 96.5–96.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Endozoicomonas elysicola MKT110T and Endozoicomonas montiporae CL-33T, with which the isolates formed a monophyletic cluster with 100 % bootstrap support. The phenotypic features (carbohydrate fermentation, quinone system and some major cellular fatty acids) differed from those of members of the genus Endozoicomonas , which are aerobic, produce little or no menaquinone under aerobic conditions and possess different amounts of C14 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c. Although some phenotypic differences were identified, the isolates should be assigned to the genus Endozoicomonas on the basis of congruity of phylogeny and should be classified as representatives of a novel species, for which the name Endozoicomonas numazuensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HC50T ( = NBRC 108893T  = DSM 25634T). An emended description of the genus Endozoicomonas is presented.

A novel Ferrimonas species is described on the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic studies. Four halophilic organisms were isolated from marine sand and marine macroalgae samples by using high-pH marine agar 2216. An analysis of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequences of these new isolates indicated that they were phylogenetically close (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity >99·5 %, gyrB gene sequence similarity >97·8 %), and were most closely related to Ferrimonas balearica (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity 97·1–97·3 %, gyrB gene sequence similarity 84·4–85·0 %). Chemotaxonomic data (major menaquinone MK7; major fatty acids C16 : 0 and C18 : 1 ω9c) supported the affiliation of the new isolates to the genus Ferrimonas. The results of physiological and biochemical tests allowed phenotypic differentiation of the isolates from F. balearica. It is therefore proposed that the new isolates represent a novel species with the name Ferrimonas marina sp. nov. and type strain A4D-4T (=MBIC06480T=DSM 16917T).

Coraliomargarita akajimensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the phylum 'Verrucomicrobia' isolated from seawater in Japan An obligately aerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, non-motile, spherical bacterium, designated strain 04OKA010-24