Desulfotomaculum peckii sp nov., a moderately thermophilic member of the genus Desulfotomaculum, isolated from an upflow anaerobic filter treating abattoir wastewaters

A novel anaerobic thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium designated strain LINDBHT1(T) was isolated from an anaerobic digester treating abattoir wastewaters in Tunisia. Strain LINDBHT1(T) grew at temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees C (optimum 55-60 degrees C), and at pH between 5.9 and 9.2 (optimum pH 6.0-6.8). Strain LINDBHT1(T) required salt for growth (1-40 g NaCl l(-1)), with an optimum of 20-30 g l(-1). In the presence of sulfate as terminal electron acceptor, strain LINDBHT1(T) used H2/CO2, propanol, butanol and ethanol as carbon and energy sources but fumarate, formate, lactate and pyruvate were not utilized. Butanol was converted to butyrate, while propanol and ethanol were oxidized to propionate and acetate, respectively. Sulfate, sulfite and thiosulfate were utilized as terminal electron acceptors but elemental sulfur, iron (III), fumarate, nitrate and nitrite were not used. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 44.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the small-subunit rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain LINDBHT1(T) was affiliated to the genus Desulfotomaculum with the type strains of Desulfotomaculum halophilum and Desulfotomaculum alkaliphilum as its closest phylogenetic relatives (about 89% similarity). This strain represents a novel species of the genus Desulfotomaculum, Desulfotomaculum peckii sp. nov.; the type strain is LINDBHT1(T) (=DSM 23769(T)-JCM 17209(T))