Desulfuromonas svalbardensis sp nov and Desulfuromusa ferrireducens sp nov., psychrophilic, Fe(III)-reducing bacteria isolated from Arctic sediments, Svalbard

Two psychrophilic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile bacteria (strains 112(T) and 102(T)) that conserved energy from dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction concomitant with acetate oxidation were isolated from permanently cold Arctic marine sediments. Both strains grew at temperatures down to -2 degrees C, with respective temperature optima of 14 degrees C and 14-17 degrees C for strains 112(T) and 102(T). The isolated strains reduced Fe(III) using common fermentation products such as acetate, lactate, propionate, formate or hydrogen as electron donors, and they also grew with fumarate as the sole substrate. As alternatives to Fe(III), they reduced fumarate, S-0 and Mn(IV). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain 112(T) was most closely related to Desulfuromonas acetoxidans (97.0%) and Desulfuromonas thiophila NZ27(T) (95.5 %), and strain 102(T) to Malonomonas rubra Gra Mal 1(T) (96.3%) and Desulfuromusa succinoxidans Gylac(T) (95.9%) within the Deltaproteobacteria. Strains 112(T) and 102(T) therefore represent novel species, for which the names Desulfuromonas svalbardensis sp. nov. (type strain 112(T) = DSM 16958(T) = JCM 12927(T)) and Desulfuromusa ferrireducens sp. nov. (type strain 102(T) = DSM 16956 (T) = JCM 12926(T)) are proposed.