Zafaria cholistanensis gen. nov. sp. nov., a moderately thermotolerant and halotolerant actinobacterium isolated from Cholistan desert soil of Pakistan. Zafaria cholistanensis

A Gram-staining positive, non-spore forming, non-pigmented and non-motile bacterium, designated strain NCCP-1664T, was isolated from Cholistan desert, Pakistan. Cells of strain NCCP-1664T were observed to be strictly aerobic with rod to coccus growth cycle, which were catalase positive and oxidase negative. The growth was observed at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum pH 7-8) at 28-45 oC (optimum 37 oC) and could tolerate 0-16% NaCl (optimum 2%). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain NCCP-1664T belongs to genus Arthrobacter having highest sequence similarities with Arthrobacter ginkgonis (98.9 %). This chemotaxonomic data, physiological, biochemical characteristics and the phylogenetic analyses allowed to describe it as a novel species of genus, for which the name Arthrobacter zafarii sp. nov. is proposed with the type strain NCCP-1664T (=DSM 29936T = KCTC 39549T).