Phylogenetic diversity of bacteria in rock salt of the Verkhnekamskoe deposit (Perm krai)

New data on the phylogenetic diversity of bacteria in the salt of the Verkhnekamskoe deposit (Perm Krai) have been obtained using molecular genetic methods. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes of total DNA from the rock salt sample (depth intervals of 239.7-239 m) evinces the presence of bacteria belonging to the classes: Actinobacteria (closely related to the genera Rhodococcus, Demequina), Gammaproteobacteria (the genera Pseudomonas, Serratia, Shigella ), Betaproteobacteria (the genus Ralstonia ) and Alphaproteobacteria (the genus Phyllobacterium ). In addition, we identified two phylotypes of the Alphaproteobacteria (clone 66BA (GenBank MH410136) and clone 12BA (GenBank MH410128) that show lower similarity in 16S rRNA genes (98.46%) with the closest type strains of the genus Mesorhizobium ( M. alhagi CCNWXJ12-2T) and the genus Chelativorans ( C. multitrophicus DSM9103T). The identified phylotypes may represent new taxonomic units.