%0 Journal Article %A Fortina, M. Grazia %A Ricci, G. %A Mora, D. %A Manachini, P. L. %T Molecular analysis of artisanal Italian cheeses reveals Enterococcus italicus sp. nov. %D 2004 %J International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, %V 54 %N 5 %P 1717-1721 %@ 1466-5034 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.63190-0 %I Microbiology Society, %X The taxonomic positions of seven atypical Enterococcus strains, isolated from artisanal Italian cheeses, were investigated in a polyphasic study. By using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, DNA–DNA hybridization and intergenic transcribed spacer analysis, as well as by examining the phenotypic properties, the novel isolates were shown to constitute a novel enterococcal species. Their closest relatives are Enterococcus sulfureus and Enterococcus saccharolyticus, having a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 96·7 %. This group of strains can be easily differentiated from the other Enterococcus species by DNA–DNA hybridization and by their phenotypic characteristics: the strains do not grow in 6·5 % NaCl, and they do not produce acid from l-arabinose, melezitose, melibiose, raffinose or ribose. The name Enterococcus italicus sp. nov. is proposed for this species, with strain DSM 15952T (=LMG 22039T) as the type strain. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.63190-0