- Volume 32, Issue 2, 1982

A new species, Flavobacterium spiritivorum, is proposed. Each of the 13 strains placed in the new species was examined for 129 characteristics, including 58 enzyme reactions (API ZYM system). These bacteria were rod shaped, aerobic, gram negative, and nonmotile, and oxidized glucose in oxidation-fermentation medium. The mean guanine-plus-cytosine content of the deoxyribonucleic acids of six selected strains was 41.4 ± 0.4 mol%. A distinguishing feature of the new species is its ability to produce acid from various carbohydrates and alcohols. In particular, the ability of F. spiritivorum strains to produce acid from ethanol and mannitol distinguishes them from all other Flavobacterium species. Eleven strains of the new species were isolated from human clinical specimens, of which blood and urine were common sources. The type strain is E7288 (= NCTC 11386).

From a study of the so-called bacterial canker of ash, caused by a variant of “Pseudomonas savastanoi” (Smith) Stevens, it became evident that this variant and the variants of “P. savastanoi” which cause olive knot and oleander knot can be distinguished from one another on the basis of their pathogenicity and host range. All isolates of “P. savastanoi” were recently classified by Dye et al. (Plant Pathol. 59:153-168,1980) as members of a single pathovar of P. syringae van Hall. It appears, however, that these isolates differ sufficiently from the other members of P. syringae to justify subspecies rank for them. The following classification and nomenclature are therefore proposed: Pseudomonas syringae subsp. savastanoi (ex Smith) subsp. nov., nom. rev., to include the olive pathogen (pathovar oleae), the ash pathogen (pathovar fraxini), and the oleander pathogen (pathovar nerii). The type strain of P. syringae subsp. savastanoi is ATCC 13522 (= NCPPB 639).

“Staphylococcus staphylolyticus” NRRL B-2628, the lysostaphin-producing organism, is identified as a biovar of S. simulans. The membership of this organism in the genus Staphylococcus is based on the guanine-plus-cytosine content of its deoxyribonucleic acid, its anaerobic growth in thioglycolate medium, the presence of teichoic acids in its cell wall, and the composition of its cell wall peptidoglycan. The identification of the organism as a member of S. simulans is based on its lack of production of coagulase and acetylmethylcarbinol, its carbohydrate reaction pattern, similarities in other biochemical characteristics, and the results of deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization studies.

We describe the morphological, genetic, and biochemical features of Fusobacterium simiae, a new species which accommodates isolates from monkey dental plaque. F. simiae can be distinguished from currently recognized Fusobacterium species by its ability to produce indole, hydrolyze hippurate, grow in 2% oxgall, and ferment fructose and glucose but not 27 other carbohydrates. The type strain of this new species is 7511 R2-13 (= ATCC 33568).

A new species of Actinomadura, Actinomadura kijaniata, was isolated from African soil. This organism differs from other species of Actinomadura in that it forms deep green vegetative mycelia and white, curled aerial mycelia that fragment into long chains of smooth-walled, elliptical spores and produces a complex of novel acid enol antibiotics. Whole cells contain meso-diaminopimelic acid and madurose but lack nitrogenous phospholipids. This species can utilize a wide variety of carbohydrates, grow in the presence of numerous antibiotics, and actively hydrolyze many organic compounds. The type strain of A. kijaniata is SCC 1256 (= ATCC 31588).

A bacterium isolated from desert tortoises fits the major criteria for inclusion in the genus Pasteurella (gram-negative, nonmotile, pleomorphic rods that are facultatively anaerobic, fermentative in their attack on various carbohydrates, and catalase, nitratase, and oxidase positive). Tests performed for identifying this organism to the species level produced results that fit none of the currently accepted species of Pasteurella. This organism did not hydrolyze urea but did produce indole from tryptophane, hydrolyze o-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside, and lyse sheep erythrocytes in agar. It fermented a variety of carbohydrates, producing acetic, lactic, propionic, and succinic acids as a result of glucose fermentation. All strains were highly susceptible to ampicillin (≤0.5 μg/ml), and most strains were susceptible to penicillin (≤1 μg/ml); the susceptibilities to tetracycline, streptomycin, and sulfonamides were variable. Serological tests revealed antigenic heterogeneity and suggested the presence of heat-extractable surface antigens in some strains. Mice succumbed to intranasal and intraperitoneal inoculations of large numbers of some of the strains. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the deoxyribonucleic acid was between 46 and 47 mol%. The Analytab Products API 20E bacterial identification system could not identify some strains of this organism. Other strains were identified as Pasteurella multocida or Aeromonas hydrophila at probability levels ranging from 1 :69 to 1 :>106. Species status is proposed for these isolates under the name Pasteurella testudinis sp. nov. The type strain of this species is strain UCD 90-23-79n (= ATCC 33688).

Four orange-pigmented and seven pink-pigmented strains of bacteria which contained bacteriochlorophyll a were isolated from high-tidal seaweeds, such as Enteromorpha linza (L.) J. Ag. and Porphyra sp. All of the isolates were gram negative. The orange-pigmented bacteria were rods with parallel sides and rounded ends, and the pink-pigmented bacteria were ovoids and short rods. All were motile by means of subpolar flagella. None of the strains produced growth anaerobically in the light. No growth occurred with an atmosphere containing H2 and CO2. All of these bacteria grew aerobically and utilized glucose, pyruvate, acetate, butyrate, and glutamate as sole organic carbon sources. The best growth occurred on complex media formulated for heterotrophic marine bacteria. Biotin was required. Oxidase and catalase were present. Small amounts of acid were produced from a wide range of carbohydrates under microaerobic conditions. Gelatin was hydrolyzed. The strains which we investigated fell into the following three clusters: cluster A, all of the orange strains; cluster B, three pink strains; and cluster C, four pink strains. The strains of clusters B and C required thiamine and nicotinic acid and were susceptible to streptomycin. Tween 80 was hydrolyzed and phosphatase activity was produced by the strains of clusters A and B. Pantothenate was required only by the strains of cluster C. The guanine-plus-cytosine contents of the deoxyribonucleic acids of these organisms ranged from 60 to 64 mol%. These organisms are recognized here as members of a new genus, Erythrobacter. Although these organisms did not grow phototrophically, the presence of bacteriochlorophyll a indicated that they are most closely related to the Rhodospirillaceae. The type species is Erythrobacter longus, the type strain of which is an orange strain, OCh101 (= IFO 14126).

The name “Corynebacterium suis” Soltys and Spratling 1957 was not included on the 1980 Approved Lists of Bacterial Names and has no current nomenclatural standing. This commonly occurring swine pathogen was studied to determine its taxonomic status. It is an anaerobic, gram-positive, catalase-negative, nonmotile, nonsporulating, short to medium-sized, rod-shaped organism that grows optimally at pH 7.0 to 8.0 and 37°C. Of 27 substrates tested, this bacterium fermented only maltose, glycogen, and starch. This organism is urease positive but is negative in other common biochemical tests. Growth in peptone-yeast extract-maltose medium is not enhanced by Tween 80, heme, or menadione and is inhibited by bile. Rhamnose and lysine are the major cell wall components, whereas mannose, glutamic acid, and alanine are the minor components in the cell wall of this organism. Acetate, ethanol, and formate are the major metabolic products of maltose fermentation. No detectable levels of propionate are produced. Major amounts of type b cytochrome and minor amounts of type c cytochrome appear to be present in cell extracts. It is susceptible to penicillin G, ampicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, cephalothin, and clindamycin. The deoxyribonucleic acid of this organism has a guanine-plus-cytosine content of 55 mol%. These data indicate that this organism does not belong in the genus Corynebacterium but rather in Eubacterium. Therefore, the name Eubacterium suis (nom. rev.) comb. nov. is proposed for it, and strain Soltys 50052 (= ATCC 33144) is designated the type strain.

The name Flavobacterium breve (Lustig) Bergey et al. 1923 was omitted from the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names. The taxon to which this name was applied is a distinct entity, and it can be differentiated from the other recognized species of Flavobacterium. Consequently, the name F. breve is revived for the same organism to which the name originally referred. The type strain of F. breve is NCTC 11099.

Cryptococcus lupi sp. nov. was isolated from soil samples from the Dry Valleys of South Victoria Land, Antarctica. The guanine-plus-cytosine content (53.3 mol%) of C. lupi deoxyribonucleic acid differs by more than 1.5 mol% from the guanine-plus-cytosine contents of biotypes originally described under the name Cryptococcus vishniacii. The type strain of C. lupi (MYSW 202Y252 = ATCC 44529) differs phenotypically from the type strain of C. vishniacii in that it assimilates cellobiose, methyl-α-d-glucoside, and salicin and fails to assimilate γ-amino butyric acid, gluconate, 2-ketogluconate, 5-ketogluconate, l-rhamnose, and succinate; it also differs by having a higher maximum growth temperature and in its cell size and ratio of cell width to length.

In this article, the family name Enterobacteraceae nom. rev. is proposed as a substitute for the name Enterobacteriaceae, which is not formed in conformity with the Rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria.