A novel strain designated 11G32T was isolated from an agricultural soil cultivated with Chinese cabbage in Korea. The cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 15–28 °C (optimum, 20 °C), pH 5.0–7.0 (optimum, pH 5.0–6.0) and without NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain was found to be closely related to members of the genus Reyranella and showed 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.18, 96.76 and 95.99 % with Reyranella graminifolii Wo-34T, Reyranella massiliensis 521T and Reyranella soli KIS14-15T, respectively. The major fatty acids were C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C16 : 0, summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and 11-methyl C18 : 1ω7c. The predominant ubiquinone was Q-10. The polar lipids profile revealed the presence of phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminolipids, unidentified phospholipids and unidentified lipids. On the basis of data presented, strain 11G32T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Reyranella , for which the name Reyranella terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 11G32T (=KACC 18486T=NBRC 111476T).

A motile, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, designated G-4-1-14^T, was obtained from forest soil sampled at Gwanggyo mountain, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Cells were colourless, aerobic, grew optimally at 28–35 °C and hydrolysed DNA and casein. Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain G-4-1-14^T formed a lineage within the genus Zoogloea . The closest members were Zoogloea resiniphila ATCC 70068^T (98.6 % sequence similarity), Zoogloea caeni EMB43^T (98.2 %), Zoogloea oryzae A-7^T (97.7 %), Zoogloea ramigera IAM 12136^T (96.9 %) and Zoogloea oleivorans Buc^T (96.2 %). The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 and the principal polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (iso-C_15 :0 2-OH/C_{16  : 1} ω7c) and C_16 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 65.9 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness values between strain G-4-1-14^T and other type strains were ≤81.6 and ≤24.9 %, respectively, which are below the species demarcation thresholds. Based on the results of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic analyses, strain G-4-1-14^T represents a novel species in the genus Zoogloea , for which the name Zoogloea dura sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is G-4-1-14^T (=KACC 21618^T=NBRC 114358^T). In addition, we propose emendation of the genus Zoogloea and the species Zoogloea oryzae and Zoogloea ramigera .

Alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl]acetamide] is a chloroacetanilide herbicide and has been widely used as a selective pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide to control weeds and grass. Due to its wide usage, direct application on the ground, high solubility in water, and moderate persistence, alachlor and its metabolites have been detected in various environments. Therefore, there is an increasing concern about the environmental fate of alachlor and its metabolites. Microbial biodegradation is a main method of removal of alachlor in the natural environment. In this study, we isolated new alachlor degrading bacterium and proposed a novel alachlor-degrading pathway. The alachlor-degrading bacterial strain, GC-A6, was identified as Acinetobacter sp. using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Acinetobacter sp. GC-A6 utilized alachlor as its sole carbon source and degraded 100 mg L⁻¹ of alachlor within 48 h, which was the highest alachlor degradation efficiency. The degradation pathway of alachlor was studied using GC-MS analysis. Alachlor was initially degraded to 2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl) acetamide, which was further degraded to 2,6-diethylaniline and 7-ethylindoline, respectively. 2,6-Diethylaniline was transformed into N-(2,6-diethylphenyl) formamide. N-(2,6-diethylphenyl) formamide was a first-reported intermediate during the degrading pathway of alachlor by single isolate.

Two yellow-pigmented, non-motile, Gram-stain-negative, and rod-shaped bacteria, designated TW-4^T and TNP-2 were obtained from oil-contaminated soil. Both strains degrade diesel oil, hydrolyse aesculin, DNA, Tween 40 and Tween 60. A phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain TW-4^T formed a lineage within the family Erythrobacteraceae and clustered as members of the genus Novosphingobium . The closest members of strain TW-4^T were Novosphingobium subterraneum DSM 12447^T (97.9 %, sequence similarity), Novosphingobium lubricantis KSS165-70^T (97.8 %), Novosphingobium taihuense T3-B9^T (97.8 %), Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM 12444^T (97.7 %), Novosphingobium flavum UCT-28^T (97.7 %), and Novosphingobium bradum STM-24^T (97.6 %). The sequence similarity for other members was ≤97.6 %. The genome of strain TW-4^T was 4 683 467 bp long with 44 scaffolds and 4280 protein-coding genes. The sole respiratory quinone was Q-10. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C_18 : 1  ω7c and/or C_18 : 1  ω6c), summed feature 3 (C_16 : 1  ω7c and/or C_16 : 1  ω6c), C_16 : 0 and C_14 : 0 2-OH. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidyl-n-methylethanolamine (PME) and sphingoglycolipid (SGL). The DNA G+C content of the type strain was 65.0 %. The average nucleotide identity (ANIu) and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) relatedness values between strain TW-4^T and closest members were below the threshold value for species delineation. Based on polyphasic taxonomic analyses, strain TW-4^T represents novel species in the genus Novosphingobium , for which the name Novosphingobium olei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TW-4^T (=KACC 21628^T=NBRC 114364^T) and strain TNP-2 (=KACC 21629=NBRC 114365) represents an additional strain. Based on new data obtained in this study, it is also proposed to reclassify Novosphingobium stygium as a later heterotypic synonym of Novosphingobium aromaticivorans .

A pink-pigmented, non-motile, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, designated RP-2-7^T, was obtained from soil sampled at the Arctic station, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. Cells were strictly aerobic, psychrotolerant, grew optimally at 15–20 °C and hydrolysed CM-cellulose. Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain RP-2-7^T formed a lineage within the family Hymenobacteraceae and clustered with members of the genus Hymenobacter . Its closest relative was Hymenobacter marinus KJ035^T (97.6 % sequence similarity). The sequence similarities to other strains were ≤96.9 %. The principal respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C_16 : 1  ω7c and/or C_16 : 1  ω6c), anteiso-C_15 : 0, iso-C_15 : 0, C_16 : 1  ω5c and summed featured 4 (iso-C_17 : 1 I and/or anteiso-C_17 : 1 B). The DNA G+C content was 62.8 mol%. In addition, the average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness values between strain RP-2-7^T and closely related strains were lower than species demarcation thresholds. Based on the resuls of genomic, chemotaxonomic, phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses, strain RP-2-7^T represents novel species in the genus Hymenobacter , for which the name Hymenobacter polaris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RP-2-7^T (=KACC 21670^T=NBRC 114391^T).