During Asian dust events, a relatively high concentration of particulate matter is transported by wind from arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, to nearby countries, including China, Korea, and Japan. The dust particles contain various microorganisms, which can affect human health as well as the environmental microbe population. In the current study, we investigated the characteristics of the airborne bacterial community during Asian dust events between February and March 2015 in South Korea. Bacterial diversity indexes such as operational taxonomic units, Chao1 and Inverse Simpson index were increased, along with total 16S rRNA gene copy number during Asian dust events. The bacterial community structure during Asian dust events was clearly distinguishable from that during non-Asian dust days. The genera Bacillus and Modestobacter were increased 3.9- and 2.7-fold, respectively, while Escherichia-Shigella was decreased by 89.8%. A non-metric multidimensional scaling plot with metadata analysis revealed association of particulate matter concentration, but not temperature, humidity or wind speed, with bacterial community structure, suggesting that the newly transported dust particles contain various microorganisms that influence the airborne bacterial environment.

A novel Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain S8, was isolated from a soil sample obtained in Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain S8 were endospore-forming, motile by means of peritrichous flagella, and rod-shaped. S8 colonies were round, convex, wavy and white. Strain S8 grew optimally at 37 °C, pH 6-8, and up to 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain S8 was affiliated with the genus Paenibacillus in the family Paenibacillaceae and was most closely related to Paenibacillus yonginensis DCY84 and Paenibacillus physcomitrellae XB (98.8 and 97.1 % sequence similarity). The DNA G+C content of the novel strain was 53.1±0.3 mol%. Strain S8 contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, two phospholipids, four aminophospholipids, an aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. The major fatty acid was anteiso-branched C15 : 0. The quinone was menaquinone MK-7. The peptidoglycan of strain S8 contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain S8 with P. yonginensis KCTC 33428 and P. physcomitrellae DSM 29851 were 44 % and 32 %, respectively. Data from the DNA-DNA hybridization, biochemical, phylogenetic and physiological analyses indicate that strain S8 (=KCTC 33848=JCM 31672) represents a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus mobilis sp. nov. is proposed.

No abstract

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, oxidase and catalase positive, non-flagellated, pink coloured bacterium with gliding motility, designated as strain UDD1 was isolated from soil. The bacterium lacked flexirubin-type pigments. Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain UDD1 formed a lineage within the family Cytophagaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes, and forms a distinct clade with type strains of the closely related genus Pontibacter with similarities of 91.36-93.62%. Strain UDD1 contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone and summed feature 4 (iso-C I and/or anteiso-C B) and iso-C as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified glycolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain UDD1 was 49 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic analyses, the strain UDD1 represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Cytophagaceae, for which the name Edaphorhabdus rosea gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of Edaphorhabdus rosea is UDD1 (= KCTC 62117 = JCM 32366). The Digital Protologue Database Taxon number for strain UDD1 is GA00058.

A novel Gram-stain-negative bacterial strain, designated strain S10, was isolated from soil collected in a rice field in Goyang, South Korea. Cells of strain S10 were strictly aerobic, motile and rod-shaped. Colonies were round, convex, smooth and white. The strain grew optimally at 37 °C, pH 7.0 and 0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain S10 revealed that the bacterium belongs to the family Comamonadaceae and is related to members of the genus Hydrogenophaga, with Hydrogenophaga caeni EMB71 being its closest relative (97.9 % sequence similarity). The DNA G+C content of strain S10 was 68.2 mol%. Strain S10 contained phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol as the major polar lipids. The major fatty acids were C16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-8. DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain S10 with Hydrogenophaga caeni KCTC 12613, Hydrogenophaga atypica DSM 15342 and Hydrogenophaga defluvii DSM 15341 were 16.1±4.8, 49.0±3.2 and 21.9±8.8 %, respectively. Based on phylogenetic distinctiveness, DNA-DNA hybridization and specific physiological and biochemical characteristics, strain S10 (=KCTC 52520=JCM 31711) is classified as a novel species of the genus Hydrogenophaga, for which the name Hydrogenophagasoli sp. nov. is proposed.