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Abstract
Fourteen isolates of an unknown species identified as belonging to the genus Legionella by selective growth on BCYE agar were isolated from the biopurification systems of three different wood processing plants. The mip gene sequence of all 14 isolates was identical and a close match alignment revealed 86 % sequence similarity with Legionella pneumophila serogroup 8. The whole genome of isolate LEGNT was sequenced, and a phylogenetic tree based on the alignment of 16S rRNA, mip, rpoB, rnpB and the 23S–5S intergenic region clustered LEGNT with L. pneumophila ATCC 33152T. Analysis of virulence factors showed that strain LEGNT carries the majority of known L. pneumophila virulence factors. An amoeba infection assay performed to assess the pathogenicity of strain LEGNT towards Acanthamoeba castellanii showed that it can establish a replication vacuole in A. castellanii but does not significantly affect replication of amoebae. Taken together, the results confirm that strain LEGNT represents a novel species of the genus Legionella , for which the name Legionella norrlandica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LEGNT ( = ATCC BAA-2678T = CCUG 65936T).
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