- Volume 56, Issue 2, 2006

Phenotypic and genotypic characters of strains of Neosartorya spinosa and related taxa were analysed. N. spinosa, Neosartorya botucatensis and Neosartorya paulistensis had identical partial β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences and could not be differentiated on macro- and micro-morphological characteristics, including by scanning electron microscopy. Based on partial β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences and ascospore morphology, two separate groups are distinguished and are proposed as novel species. Neosartorya laciniosa sp. nov. has microtuberculate ascospores with two bent crests and two distinct equatorial rings of small projections. Neosartorya coreana sp. nov. has rugose to weak reticulate ascospores with two often bent crests, but without the equatorial rings of small projections. The type strain of N. laciniosa is CBS 117721T (=NRRL 35589T=KACC 41657T) and the type strain of N. coreana is CBS 117059T (=NRRL 35590T=KACC 41659T).

A Gram-positive, coccus-shaped, lactic acid bacterium, strain LMG 23082T, was isolated from steeped maize grains. The organism is homofermentative and produces d- and l-lactic acid from glucose. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the organism belongs to the genus Pediococcus, with Pediococcus pentosaceus and Pediococcus acidilactici as nearest neighbours. Genotypic fingerprinting, whole-cell protein electrophoresis, DNA–DNA hybridizations and physiological and biochemical tests allowed differentiation of strain LMG 23082T from other established Pediococcus species. A remarkable feature was that, unlike other pediococci, this bacterium was capable of growth at pH 9·0. The strain studied represents a novel species for which the name Pediococcus stilesii sp. nov. is proposed with the type strain LMG 23082T (=BFE 1652T=FAIR-E 180T=CCUG 51290T), the only currently known isolate of the species.

A novel long-chain, Gram-positive, rod-shaped, endospore-forming strain was isolated from the influent of a drinking water treatment plant in Macau, China. This facultatively anaerobic isolate (2·0–5·0 μm in length and 0·8–1·2 μm in diameter) formed long chains over 100 μm in length in both liquid and solid media. It had a growth temperature range of 20–40 °C, with an optimum at about 30 °C, and a growth pH range of 6·0–10·0, with an optimum at pH 8·5. The G+C content of the DNA extracted was 40·8 mol%. The main fatty acid components were anteiso-C15 : 0 (67·2 %) and iso-C15 : 0 (21·7 %), with small quantities of iso-C14 : 0, C14 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. The main quinone component was MK-7. Phylogenetic analyses based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that this isolate is a member of the genus Bacillus, with no close relatives at the species level (sequence similarity <96·1 %). These phenotypic and genetic properties suggested that this strain represents a novel species, for which the name Bacillus macauensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZFHKF-1T (=JCM 13285T=DSM 17262T).

Strain R0052, isolated from a North American dairy starter culture, was initially identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus based on phenotypic analyses. However, upon sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, it became clear that the isolate was very highly related to Lactobacillus suntoryeus, Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus gallinarum, as similarities ranging from 99·3 to 99·8 % were observed. As an initial screening test to investigate the relatedness of strain R0052 and reference strains of L. suntoryeus, L. helveticus and L. gallinarum, the partial sequences for the genes encoding the alpha subunit of ATP synthase (atpA), RNA polymerase alpha subunit (rpoA), phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase alpha subunit (pheS), the translational elongation factor Tu (tuf), a surface-layer protein (slp) and the Hsp60 chaperonins (groEL) were determined and they revealed high relatedness between all of the strains. The determination of the 16S–23S rRNA internally transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences revealed 98·3–100 % similarity between L. suntoryeus and L. helveticus strains. SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins did not distinguish between these species. Fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) could distinguish between these taxa, but they still constituted a single cluster within the L. acidophilus group. Finally, DNA–DNA hybridization experiments between strain R0052 and the type strains of L. helveticus and L. suntoryeus yielded reassociation values above 70 % and confirmed that these names are synonyms.

A moderately thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium (strain SB91T) was isolated from a freshwater hot spring at Barguzin Valley, Buryatiya, Russia. Cells of strain SB91T were straight to slightly curved rods, 0·5–0·6 μm in diameter and 3·0–7·0 μm in length. Formation of endospores was not observed. The temperature range for growth was 26–62 °C, with an optimum at 50 °C. The pH range for growth was 5·5–9·5, with an optimum at pH 7·5–8·0. The substrates utilized by strain SB91T in the presence of 9,10-anthraquinone 2,6-disulfonate included peptone, tryptone, Casamino acids, yeast extract, beef extract, casein hydrolysate, alanine plus glycine, alanine plus proline, l-valine and n-propanol. Carbohydrates were not utilized. Strain SB91T reduced amorphous Fe(III) oxide, Fe(III) citrate, Fe(III) EDTA or Fe(III) nitrilotriacetate with peptone, l-valine or n-propanol as an electron donor. Strain SB91T reduced 9,10-anthraquinone 2,6-disulfonate, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, fumarate and selenite. Strain SB91T survived after exposure to gamma-radiation at a dose of 5·4 kGy. The G+C content of the DNA of strain SB91T was 33 mol%. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the isolated organism belonged to cluster XII of the clostridia. On the basis of its physiological properties and the results of phylogenetic analyses, it is proposed that strain SB91T represents the sole species of a novel genus, Tepidimicrobium; the name Tepidimicrobium ferriphilum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed, with strain SB91T (=DSM 16624T=VKM B-2348T) as the type strain.

A moderately halophilic bacterium, strain BH169T, capable of growing at salinities of 3–20 % (w/v) NaCl was isolated from a saline lake in China. Strain BH169T was strictly aerobic, short-rod-shaped and non-motile (non-flagellated). Its major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was about 43 mol% and the predominant quinone was MK-7. The cell-wall peptidoglycan was of the A1γ type, containing meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate formed a distinct phylogenetic line within the spore-forming rods of the genus Bacillus. The levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to the type strains of Bacillus species were below 93 %. On the basis of phenotypic and molecular properties, strain BH169T (=KCTC 3912T=DSM 16461T) represents the type strain of a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus salarius sp. nov. is proposed.

The taxonomic relatedness between the species Enterococcus casseliflavus and Enterococcus flavescens and between Enterococcus italicus and Enterococcus saccharominimus was investigated. Literature data had already indicated the synonymy between E. casseliflavus and E. flavescens, but this observation had not been formally published. Additional evidence that the two taxa represent a single species was provided by comparison of the partial sequences for three housekeeping genes, phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase alpha subunit (pheS), RNA polymerase alpha subunit (rpoA) and the alpha subunit of ATP synthase (atpA). Additional genomic data derived from DNA–DNA hybridization demonstrated that the two species are synonymous. For E. italicus and E. saccharominimus, two recently described taxa, a high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of >99 % and analogous phenotypic features indicated a close taxonomic relatedness. The same multilocus sequence analysis scheme for the three housekeeping genes was also applied for E. italicus and E. saccharominimus and indicated possible conspecificity, an observation that was also confirmed by a high DNA–DNA hybridization value (⩾78 %). Data from the present study led to the proposal that E. flavescens should be reclassified as a later synonym of E. casseliflavus and that E. saccharominimus should be reclassified as a later synonym of E. italicus.

Two strains of an unknown Gram-positive, catalase-negative, facultatively anaerobic, coccus-shaped bacterium, originating from a porpoise and a grey seal, were characterized using phenotypic, biochemical and molecular phylogenetic methods. Chemical studies revealed the presence of a cell-wall murein based on l-lysine (type l-lys–gly–d-Asp) and a DNA G+C content of 38 mol%. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that this unidentified coccus-shaped organism formed a hitherto unknown subline closely related to, albeit distinct from, a number of other catalase-negative genera which included Enterococcus, Melissococcus, Tetragenococcus and Vagococcus. Other known Gram-positive, catalase-negative taxa were more distantly related. Tree-branching considerations and sequence divergence values of >6 % with recognized taxa were indicative of this novel bacterium representing a separate genus. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that this unknown bacterium, recovered from a porpoise and a grey seal, be classified as a novel genus and species, Catellicoccus marimammalium gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain is M35/04/3T (=CCUG 49459T=CIP 108575T).

Two bacterial strains, DSM 20253T and DSM 20254, isolated from rennin and regarded as causing cheese spoilage, were deposited in the DSMZ as Lactobacillus sp. by J. Stadhouders. The strains show 99·9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and have less than 94·3 % similarity with any other species of the genus. Lactobacillus coryniformis is their closest phylogenetic neighbour. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments confirmed that the two strains are members of the same species with separate status within the genus Lactobacillus. The strains are homofermentative lactic acid bacteria and can be phenotypically and genotypically distinguished from their closest relatives. 16S rRNA gene-targeted specific primers were designed to enable PCR detection of the novel species. The name Lactobacillus rennini sp. nov. is proposed for the novel isolates, with strain CECT 5922T (=DSM 20253T) as the type strain.

During the course of studies on halophilic, Gram-negative bacteria, a comparison of two strains of halophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas halophila DSM 3050 and Halomonas variabilis DSM 3051 (formerly Halovibrio variabilis) demonstrated that the characteristics of strain DSM 3050 corresponded to the original description of Halovibrio variabilis and those of DSM 3051 to P. halophila, both of which had been isolated from the Great Salt Lake in Utah [ Fendrich, C. (1988) . Syst Appl Microbiol 11, 36–43]. It was concluded that these two strains did not correspond with their original descriptions, e.g. the original description of Halovibrio variabilis matched that of Pseudomonas halophila DSM 3050 and the original description of Pseudomonas halophila matched that of Halovibrio variabilis DSM 3051, which was subsequently transferred to the genus Halomonas as Halomonas variabilis DSM 3051. These findings raise the question of whether the genus name Halovibrio, with the type species Halovibrio variabilis, should be associated with type strain DSM 3050 and recognition of strain DSM 3051 as the type strain of Pseudomonas halophila.

It is proposed that Agrobacterium radiobacter has priority as the earlier heterotypic (subjective) synonym when it is united with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The nomenclatural status of A. tumefaciens as a later heterotypic synonym of the united species is not lost and it remains the type species of the genus. Request for an Opinion.