Two strains (S-1072T and 1626) of Gram-stain-negative, oxidase- and catalase-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile bacteria with a single polar flagellum, were isolated from the leaves of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. The cells grew optimally at 28 °C, pH 7.0 and with 0.5 % (w/v) NaCl on brain-heart infusion agar. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strains S-1072T and 1626 belong to the genus Luteimonas, sharing the highest similarity with Luteimonas arsenica CCTCC AB 2014326T (97.0 %), Luteimonas terricola CGMCC 1.8985T (96.9 %) and Luteimonas aestuarii KCTC 22048T (96.6 %). The phylogenomic tree indicated that strains S-1072T and 1626 were most closely related to Luteimonas abyssi CGMCC 1.12611T. The biochemical characteristics revealed that strains S-1072T and 1626 could neither produce trypsin nor produce acid from d-glucose, N-acetylglucosamine and maltose, distinguishing them from four closest relatives. The DNA G+C contents of strains S-1072T and 1626 were 69.2 and 69.3 mol% respectively. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of our isolates with their four closely related species were below the 70 % threshold. The predominant menaquinone was Q-8 (98.7 %) and the major polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and summed feature 9 (10-methyl C16 : 0 and/or iso-C17 : 1 ω9c). Based on the data obtained, strains S-1072T and 1626 should be classified as a novel species of the genus Luteimonas, for which the name Luteimonas yindakuii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S-1072T (=CGMCC 1.13927T=JCM 33487T).
Keywords: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale); Luteimonas yindakuii sp.nov.; Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.