Frankia moiroudii sp. nov., a facultative symbiont of Elaeagnaceae with EaI-12 strain the type species. Frankia moiroudii sp. nov., a facultative symbiont of Elaeagnaceae

Strain EaI-12T, an actinobacterium isolated from a root nodule present on an Elaeagnus angustifolia shrub growing in Ecully, a suburb of Lyon in France. The strain was the subject of polyphasic taxonomic studies to clarify its status within the genus Frankia. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities and ANI values between EaI-12T and type strains of Frankia with validly published names were 98.8% and 82% or less, respectively. The in silico G+C content was 72.4 mol%. Strain Ea1-12T is characterised by the presence of meso-A2pm, galactose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose (trace), ribose and xylose as whole organism hydrolysates. The proteomic results confirmed the distinct position of EaI-12T from its closest neighbours in Frankia cluster3. Strain Ea1-12T was found to be infective on one olive (Eleagnus angustifolia) and on several bayberry (Morella cerifera, M. pensylvanica, M. faya, M. californica, M. spathulata, M. rubra, Comptonia peregrina) species, and to fix nitrogen in symbiosis and in pure culture. Based on phylogenetic (16S rRNA gene sequence), genomic, proteomic and phenotypic results, strain EaI-12T is considered to represent a new species within the genus Frankia for which the name Frankia moiroudii sp. nov., is proposed.