Description of a novel organic acid-degrading bacterium with biotechnological potential, Denitratimonas organivorans sp. nov., genomic assessment of the genus Denitratimonas, and proposal of a new species Denitratimonas yunnanensis sp. nov. named following the rules of the SeqCode.

Anaerobic digestion of food waste supports a highly diverse microbial community, constituting an underexplored reservoir of functional taxa. A noval Gram-stain negative, facultatively anaerobic bacterial strain, CY0512T, was isolated from anaerobic digestion liquid of a food waste treatment plant. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences positioned CY0512T within the genus Denitratimonas, sharing 96.79% similarity with Denitratimonas tolerans E4-1T (=KACC 17565T). Genomic comparisons revealed significant divergence, with average nucleotide identity (ANI, 78.8%), amino acid identity (AAI, 75.3%), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH, 22.0%) values below established species thresholds. The strain harbored a 3.44 Mbp genome (65.2 mol% GC content) encoding pathways for organic acid metabolism (acetic, propionic, lactic, and butyric acids) and biosynthesis of thiamine, biotin, and aryl polyenes. Functional assays confirmed its capacity to degrade short-chain fatty acids under aerobic conditions, suggesting a role in organic waste hydrolysis. Distinct phenotypic traits, including differential carbon utilization profiles and nitrate reduction deficiency, further differentiated CY0512T from its closest relative. Polyphasic taxonomic data support the proposal of Denitratimonas organivorans sp. nov. (type strain CY0512T = GDMCC 1.3762T = JCM 36229T). Based on genomic and phylogenetic characteristics, JHOS43TS should be classified as representing a new taxon of this genus, for which the name Denitratimonas yunnanensis sp. nov. is proposed following the rules of the published Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode). This study also provides a framework for future ecological and biotechnological exploration of this understudied lineage in anaerobic waste conversion systems.