A new species of <i>Curtobacterium</i> from apple fruit: <i>Curtobacterium pomorum</i> sp. nov. resistant to heavy metals

<i>Curtobacterium</i> strain KT1 showed low genome sequence identity with known species in the same genus and met the criteria for classification as a novel species. Further phenotypic and physiological characterization revealed notable differences from related species, including carbon source utilization, optimal growth temperature, pH tolerance, and fatty acid profile. Heavy metal resistance of the strain indicated its ability to grow in cadmium/copper-contaminating soils and host plants. Based on the polyphasic data, we propose that the KT1^T strain (=DSM 118677^T =JCM 37513^T) is a novel species belonging to the genus <i>Curtobacterium</i> and name it as <i>Curtobacterium pomorum</i> sp. nov.