%0 Journal Article %A Miyazaki, Masayuki %A Nogi, Yuichi %A Fujiwara, Yoshihiro %A Kawato, Masaru %A Kubokawa, Kaoru %A Horikoshi, Koki %T Neptunomonas japonica sp. nov., an Osedax japonicus symbiont-like bacterium isolated from sediment adjacent to sperm whale carcasses off Kagoshima, Japan %D 2008 %J International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, %V 58 %N 4 %P 866-871 %@ 1466-5034 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.65509-0 %K ASW, artificial seawater %I Microbiology Society, %X Novel bacterial species were isolated from sediments adjacent to sperm whale carcasses off Kagoshima, Japan, at a depth of 226–246 m. The isolated strains, JAMM 0745T, JAMM 1380, JAMM 1475 and JAMM 1610, were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming and motile by means of a single polar or subterminal flagellum. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences of the novel isolates indicated a relationship to a symbiotic bacterial clone of the polychaete Osedax japonicus (99.6–99.9 % sequence similarity) and these bacteria were closely related to members of the genus Neptunomonas (95.6–96.0 % similarity) within the class Gammaproteobacteria. The novel strains were able to produce isoprenoid quinone Q-8 as the major quinone component. The predominant fatty acids were C16 : 0, C16 : 1 and C18 : 1, with C18 : 2 and C20 : 2 present in smaller amounts. The DNA G+C contents of the four novel strains were about 43.6–43.8 mol%. Based on the taxonomic differences observed, the four isolated strains appear to represent a novel species of the genus Neptunomonas. The name Neptunomonas japonica sp. nov. (type strain JAMM 0745T=JCM 14595T=DSM 18939T) is proposed for the novel strains. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.65509-0