Ten novel psychrophilic Flavobacterium species from Tibetan Plateau glaciers define a cryospheric lineage with global cold-origin relatives

Twenty-three novel psychrophilic bacteria, represented by the type strains LB2P44<sup>T</sup>, LB2P6<sup>T</sup>, LB1P62<sup>T</sup>, LB3P6<sup>T</sup>, LS1P3<sup>T</sup>, XS2P39<sup>T</sup>, XS1P32<sup>T</sup>, ZB4P13<sup>T</sup>, ZS1P14<sup>T</sup> and GT2P42<sup>T</sup>, were isolated from ice, cryoconite and meltwater of five Tibetan Plateau glaciers. All strains were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped and psychrophilic, with optimal growth at 14-20 °C and pH 7.0. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to validly named <i>Flavobacterium</i> species ranged from 98.12% to 99.56%. Phylogenomic analysis of 81 concatenated core genes positioned the 23 strains (comprising the ten novel species) within a robust monophyletic clade - the 'Cryospheric Lineage' - together with 31 other psychrophilic type strains predominantly from glaciers, permafrost and polar regions. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of ≤94.4% and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of ≤57.3% against closest relatives were below species thresholds (95-96% ANI, 70% dDDH). Major fatty acids were iso-C<sub>15:0</sub> (8.1-16.8%), iso-C<sub>15:0</sub> 3-OH (3-hydroxy, 5.2-16.0%) and summed feature 3 (C<sub>16:1</sub> <i> ω</i>7<i>c</i> and/or C<sub>16:1</sub> <i> ω</i>6<i>c</i>, 10.1-27.6%), with elevated branched-chain and unsaturated components typical of cold adaptation. Polyphasic taxonomic evidence supports the description of ten novel species within the genus <i>Flavobacterium: Flavobacterium amylolyticum</i> sp. nov. (LB2P44<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11256<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114815<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium glucosi</i> sp. nov. (LB2P6<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11263<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114816<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium esculini</i> sp. nov. (LB1P62<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11346<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114817<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium labens</i> sp. nov. (LB3P6<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11428<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114818<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium pasteuri</i> sp. nov. (LS1P3<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11474<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114821<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium rhamnosi</i> sp. nov. (XS2P39<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.23204<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 115054<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium frigidum</i> sp. nov. (XS1P32<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.23370<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 115055<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium glycogeni</i> sp. nov. (ZB4P13<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.24050<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 115056<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium kochi</i> sp. nov. (ZS1P14<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.24093<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114828<sup>T</sup>) and <i>Flavobacterium cryophilum</i> sp. nov. (GT2P42<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.24821<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114831<sup>T</sup>).

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
Published
2026-01-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.007021
Primary Topic
Polar Research and Ecology
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article

Ten novel psychrophilic Flavobacterium species from Tibetan Plateau glaciers define a cryospheric lineage with global cold-origin relatives

Lei-Lei Yang, Qing Liu, Yu-Hua Xin
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
Polar Research and Ecology
article

Ten novel psychrophilic Flavobacterium species from Tibetan Plateau glaciers define a cryospheric lineage with global cold-origin relatives

Lei-Lei Yang, Qing Liu, Yu-Hua Xin
article en

Abstract

Twenty-three novel psychrophilic bacteria, represented by the type strains LB2P44<sup>T</sup>, LB2P6<sup>T</sup>, LB1P62<sup>T</sup>, LB3P6<sup>T</sup>, LS1P3<sup>T</sup>, XS2P39<sup>T</sup>, XS1P32<sup>T</sup>, ZB4P13<sup>T</sup>, ZS1P14<sup>T</sup> and GT2P42<sup>T</sup>, were isolated from ice, cryoconite and meltwater of five Tibetan Plateau glaciers. All strains were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped and psychrophilic, with optimal growth at 14-20 °C and pH 7.0. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to validly named <i>Flavobacterium</i> species ranged from 98.12% to 99.56%. Phylogenomic analysis of 81 concatenated core genes positioned the 23 strains (comprising the ten novel species) within a robust monophyletic clade - the 'Cryospheric Lineage' - together with 31 other psychrophilic type strains predominantly from glaciers, permafrost and polar regions. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of ≤94.4% and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of ≤57.3% against closest relatives were below species thresholds (95-96% ANI, 70% dDDH). Major fatty acids were iso-C<sub>15:0</sub> (8.1-16.8%), iso-C<sub>15:0</sub> 3-OH (3-hydroxy, 5.2-16.0%) and summed feature 3 (C<sub>16:1</sub> <i> ω</i>7<i>c</i> and/or C<sub>16:1</sub> <i> ω</i>6<i>c</i>, 10.1-27.6%), with elevated branched-chain and unsaturated components typical of cold adaptation. Polyphasic taxonomic evidence supports the description of ten novel species within the genus <i>Flavobacterium: Flavobacterium amylolyticum</i> sp. nov. (LB2P44<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11256<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114815<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium glucosi</i> sp. nov. (LB2P6<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11263<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114816<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium esculini</i> sp. nov. (LB1P62<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11346<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114817<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium labens</i> sp. nov. (LB3P6<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11428<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114818<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium pasteuri</i> sp. nov. (LS1P3<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.11474<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114821<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium rhamnosi</i> sp. nov. (XS2P39<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.23204<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 115054<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium frigidum</i> sp. nov. (XS1P32<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.23370<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 115055<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium glycogeni</i> sp. nov. (ZB4P13<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.24050<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 115056<sup>T</sup>), <i>Flavobacterium kochi</i> sp. nov. (ZS1P14<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.24093<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114828<sup>T</sup>) and <i>Flavobacterium cryophilum</i> sp. nov. (GT2P42<sup>T</sup>=CGMCC 1.24821<sup>T</sup>=NBRC 114831<sup>T</sup>).

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGYVol. 76(1)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Peking University (CN), Institute of Microbiology (CN)
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 91%
Polar Research and Ecology
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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