Cellulophaga

Cel.lu.lo.pha'ga. N.L. n. cellulosum cellulose; Gr. v. phagein to eat; N.L. fem. n. Cellulophaga eater of cellulose.

Bacteroidetes / Flavobacteriia / Flavobacteriales / Flavobacteriaceae / Cellulophaga

Rod‐shaped cells with rounded ends, 1.3-6 ×0.4-0.8 µm. Gram‐stain‐negative. Cells occur singly or in pairs. Spores and resting cells are not present. Gas vesicles and helical or ring‐shaped cells are not formed. Motile by gliding. Strictly aerobic. Catalase‐ and oxidase‐positive. Chemoorganotrophic. Colonies are yellow to orange due to carotenoids. Flexirubin pigments not produced. Strains require Na⁺ with optimum growth on organic media containing seawater salts or 2-4% NaCl. All or most species hydrolyze agar, gelatin, starch, and esculin; produce esterases (with Tweens as substrates). Most species can decompose L‐tyrosine. All or most species form acid from several carbohydrates. Some species are strongly proteolytic and can attack and lyse living and dead eukaryotic cells, including yeasts and unicellular algal species. Can degrade colloidal cellulose but not crystalline or native forms of cellulose. Temperature optima for growth ranges from 20 to 30°C. Neutrophilic, with optimal growth occurring at pH 7.5-8.5. The major fatty acids are C_15:0, C_15:1 iso, C_15:0 iso, C_16:1 ω7c, C_17:1 iso, C_15:0 3-OH iso, C_16:0 3-OH iso, and C_17:0 3-OH iso. The major polyamine is homospermidine. The major isoprenoid quinone is menaquinone-6. The organisms occur in marine ecosystems including coastal mud and sand, tidal pools, seawater, and surfaces of marine benthic, pelagic, and sea‐ice‐associated macroalgae and microalgae.

DNA G + C content (mol%): 32-36 (HPLC, T_m).

Type species: Cellulophaga lytica (Lewin 1969) Johansen, Nielsen and Sjøholm 1999, 1239^VP (Cytophaga lytica Lewin 1969, 199^AL).