Oceanihabitans

O. sediminis is an aerobic microbe and is unable to grow under anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions. The major respiratory quinone is MK-6. It is cytochrome c oxidase and catalase positive.[1] Oceanihabitans sediminis is capable of synthesizing a variety of hydrolytic enzymes including alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, esterase lipase (C8), cysteine arylamidase, leucine arylamidase, valine arylamidase, naphthol-AS-Bi-phosphohydrolase, and chymotrypsin.[1] A positive leucine arylamidase result indicates O. sediminis can hydrolyze proteins into oligopeptides or individual amino acids.[2] The products of this reaction can serve as substrates for cell metabolism. A positive esterase lipase result indicates O. sediminis can break down emulsified mono-, di and triglycerides into glycerol and fatty acid residues.[2]

Members of the family Flavobacteriaceae are distributed globally. However, the abundance and diversity increases south of the polar front.[3] O. sediminis strain S9-10^T was isolated from a sediment sample in the northern Yellow Sea in China. The phosphatase activity of marine microorganisms plays a pivotal role in phosphorus and carbon biogeochemical cycles.[4] Phosphatase-producing bacteria are capable of hydrolyzing specific dissolved organic phosphorus compounds. This supplies pools of phosphorus and carbon to heterotrophic and autotrophic microbes.[4]

O. sediminis is closely related to the genera Bizionia, Olleya, Lacinutrix, Algibacter, Winogradskyella,and Gaetbulibacter. Its DNA G+C content was 34.2 mol% which is consistent with other genera in the family Flavobacteriaceae.[1]  The predominant cellular fatty acids are iso-C_15:0 (21.1 %), iso- C_15:1G (16.3 %) and iso-C_17:0 3-OH (12.0 %). The polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, aminophospholipid, aminoglycolipid, two unidentified amino-lipids, and five unidentified polar lipids.