The family Kordiimonadaceae

The genus Kordiimonas is the only genus within the order Kordiimonadales (Kwon et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55:2033-2037, 2005), an order that contains a single family-the Kordiimonadaceae, a name we here formally propose. Currently (January 2013) the genus Kordiimonas contains four species: K. gwangyangensis, K. lacus, K. aestuarii, and K. aquimaris. Kordiimonas species form a monophyletic cluster, and can be distinguished from other groups within the Alphaproteobacteria by their chemotaxonomic features, especially by their cellular fatty acid composition. Branched fatty acids are seldom found in the Alphaproteobacteria, but high contents of iso- and anteiso-branched fatty acids were reported in Kordiimonas species. Kordiimonas is distributed globally, but has never yet been found as a dominant population. The natural habitats are mainly marine environments: seawater and marine sediments. Enrichment and isolation of Kordiimonas strains usually require low nutrient media and long incubation periods. No clinical reports of infections of humans or animals by Kordiimonas species have been published. K. gwangyangensis participates in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation as well as alkane oxidation.