A.ri.di.bac'ter. L. masc. adj. aridus, dry; N.L. masc. n. bacter, a short rod; N.L. masc. n. Aridibacter rod-shaped bacterium which was isolated from dry soil.

Acidobacteria / Blastocatellia / Blastocatellales / Blastocatellaceae / Aridibacter

The genus Aridibacter comprises aerobic, chemoorganotrophic mesophiles that are adapted to a broad range of temperature and pH values. Cells are Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, and nonmotile rods that occur as single cells or in short chains and divide by binary fission. At high cell densities, some strains form cell aggregates even in shaken cultures. The cells do not form capsules and endospores. They test negative for cytochrome c-oxidase and positive for catalase. Aridibacter species grow on few monomeric sugars, organic acids, various complex proteinaceous substrates, and yeast extract. Some representatives are capable of degrading other polymers such as cellulose and show growth on laminarin, starch, and chitin. Low amounts of NaCl (0.25% w/v) enhance the growth of the Aridibacter strains. Major fatty acids are iso-C_15:0, C_13:0 3-OH/iso-C_15:1 H, and C_16:1 ω7c/C_16:1 ω6c. Major polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylglycerol. The major quinone is MK-8; small amounts of MK-7 also occur. Both known Aridibacter species originate from subtropical savannah soils. Phylogenetically related sequence types potentially representing additional species of the genus have been detected in other soils, soil crusts, subsurface sediments, on skin, and in clean rooms.

DNA G + C content (mol%): 52.6–53.2 (HPLC).

Type species: Aridibacter famidurans Huber, Wüst, Rohde, Overmann and Foesel 2014, 1872^VP.