Isolation and characterization of YNTC-1,a novel Alicyclobacillus sendaiensis strain

A heterotrophic acidothermophilic bacterial strain,YNTC-1,was isolated from an acidic hot spring in Tengchong,Yunan,China.YNTC-1 grows at pH value of 1.5-8.0 and temperature of 40-70℃,with optimal pH and temperature at 3.0 and 55℃,respectively.The cells of the strain are in shape of short rod,with 1.0-1.2μm in length and 0.7-0.8μm in diameter,and with distinct spores at both poles of each cell.The predominant fatty acids in cellular membrane of the strain are C18:1ω7c.16s rRNA gene analysis reveals that this strain is closely related to Alicyclobacillus sendaiensis,with over 99%sequence similarity.Based on phenotypic and genotypic analyses,YNTC-1 is identified as a member of A.sendaiensis.Considering some important morphological and biochemical differences between strain YNTC-1 and A.sendaiensis ATCC 27009T,YNTC-1 may be proposed to be a novel subspecies of A.sendaiensis.However,this viewpoint has to be confirmed by further studies.Co-bioleaching of pyrite and chalcopyrite with strain YN22,Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans,shows that strain YNTC-1 has no evident influence on bioleaching rates of these two sulphide minerals.