A spore-forming, halophilic bacterium, designated strain BH163T, was isolated from a salt lake in China. Cells were motile, strictly aerobic rods that contained type A1γ peptidoglycan with meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The isolate showed Gram- and catalase-positive reactions and formed a terminal endospore with a swollen sporangium. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content of the strain was 41·0 mol%. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BH163T formed a distinct line within the phyletic group classically defined as the genus Bacillus and was most closely related to the taxa [Bacillus] haloalkaliphilus DSM 5271T and Filobacillus milosensis DSM 13259T, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 95·9 and 94·5 %, respectively. On the basis of physiological and molecular properties, it is proposed that [Bacillus] haloalkaliphilus DSM 5271T is reclassified in the new genus Alkalibacillus as Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus gen. nov., comb. nov. Strain BH163T (=KCTC 3916T=DSM 16460T) was assigned as the type strain of the novel species Alkalibacillus salilacus.

Three moderately halophilic, spore-forming strains, designated BH030062T, BH030049 and BH030080, were isolated from a solar saltern in Korea. Phylogenetic analyses and comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies revealed that the isolates represent a novel distinct monophyletic lineage within the phyletic group classically defined as the genus Bacillus and are most closely related to members of the genera Gracilibacillus (93·7–95·1 % similarity), Virgibacillus (93·5–94·8 %), Halobacillus (94·8–95·9 %), Filobacillus (94·4–94·8 %) and Lentibacillus (93·3–93·7 %). Strain BH030062T was strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-positive and motile by means of peritrichous flagella. It grew in the presence of 1–15 % (w/v) NaCl and at temperatures of 15–45 °C. The cell wall peptidoglycan contained A1γ-meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. DNA G+C content was about 41 mol% and the major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. On the basis of their physiological and molecular properties, the isolates represent a new genus, Pontibacillus gen. nov., and novel species, Pontibacillus chungwhensis sp. nov. The type strain is BH030062T (=KCTC 3890T=DSM 16287T).

Pontibacillus marinus sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium from a solar saltern, and emended description of the genus Pontibacillus A moderately halophilic, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium (BH030004 T ) was isolated from a solar saltern in Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BH030004 T belonged to the genus Pontibacillus. Chemotaxonomic data (DNA G+C content, 42 mol%; major isoprenoid quinone, MK-7; cell-wall type, A1c-type meso-diaminopimelic acid; major fatty acids, iso-C 15 : 0 and anteiso-C 15 : 0 ) also supported the affiliation of the isolate to the genus Pontibacillus. Although the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain BH030004 T and Pontibacillus chungwhensis DSM 16287 T was relatively high (99?1 %), physiological properties and DNA-DNA hybridization (about 7 % DNA-DNA relatedness) allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain BH030004 T from the type strain of P. chungwhensis. Therefore, strain BH030004 T represents a novel species of the genus Pontibacillus, for which the name Pontibacillus marinus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH030004 T (=KCTC 3917 T =DSM 16465 T ).

Two moderately halotolerant Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from tidal flat sediment of the South Sea in Korea (the Korea Strait). The strains, designated M9T and M18T, were strictly aerobic, rod-shaped and non-spore-forming and motile with a flagellum and their major fatty acids were C16 : 0 and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c. Strains M9T and M18T could grow in the presence of up to 13–15 % (w/v) NaCl, but their optimum salt concentrations were relatively low (0–3 %, w/v). The major predominant isoprenoid quinone was Q-8 and the G+C content of the genomic DNA was 57–58 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses and comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies revealed that strains M9T and M18T formed a phylogenetic lineage distinct from the genus Teredinibacter within the class Gammaproteobacteria and were most closely related to the genera Microbulbifer, Saccharophagus and Teredinibacter, with less than 92·5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. The level of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between the two strains was 96·7 %. On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic properties, strains M9T and M18T represent separate species within a novel genus of the class Gammaproteobacteria, for which the names Marinimicrobium koreense gen. nov., sp. nov. (type species) and Marinimicrobium agarilyticum sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains of Marinimicrobium koreense and Marinimicrobium agarilyticum are M9T (=KCTC 12356T=DSM 16974T) and M18T (=KCTC 12357T=DSM 16975T), respectively.

A moderately halophilic bacterium, strain BH169T, capable of growing at salinities of 3-20% (w/v) NaCl was isolated from a saline lake in China. Strain BH169T was strictly aerobic, short-rod-shaped and non-motile (non-flagellated). Its major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, iso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0. The genomic DNA G+C content was about 43 mol% and the predominant quinone was MK-7. The cell-wall peptidoglycan was of the A1gamma type, containing meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate formed a distinct phylogenetic line within the spore-forming rods of the genus Bacillus. The levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strains of Bacillus species were below 93%. On the basis of phenotypic and molecular properties, strain BH169T (=KCTC 3912T=DSM 16461T) represents the type strain of a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus salarius sp. nov. is proposed.