ABSTRACT
Three strains of a Gram-positive, catalase-positive, fermentative, non-lipophilic, previously unknown bacterium were isolated from urogenital samples taken from mares in Scotland (M401624/00/1) and Sweden (VM 2074 and VM 2298(T)). All were deposited with the CCUG with tentative identifications as Corynebacterium spp. The strains were characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Biochemically, the strains were very similar to each other, but phylogenetically distinct from Corynebacterium species with validly published names (≤95% sequence similarity). rpoB gene sequence data confirmed the strains belonged to the same species (>99% sequence similarity) and were distinct from species with validly published names (>13% sequence divergence). On the basis of phenotypic and sequence data, the strains represent a novel species within the genus Corynebacterium, for which the name Corynebacterium uterequi is proposed. The type strain is VM 2298(T) (=CCUG 61235(T)=DSM 45634(T)), isolated from equine uterus.
Subject(s)
Corynebacterium Infections/veterinary , Corynebacterium/classification , Corynebacterium/physiology , Horse Diseases/microbiology , Phylogeny , Urogenital System/microbiology , Animals , Corynebacterium/genetics , Corynebacterium/isolation & purification , Corynebacterium Infections/microbiology , DNA, Bacterial/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Female , Genes, Bacterial/genetics , Horses , Molecular Sequence Data , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Scotland , Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid , Species Specificity , SwedenABSTRACT
A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on a previously unidentified gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, diphtheroid-shaped organism isolated from a vaginal discharge of a horse. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that the strain was a member of the genus Arcanobacterium, but sequence divergence values of >4% with described species of this genus (viz: Arcanobacterium haemolyticum, Arcanobacterium bernardiae, Arcanobacterium phocae, Arcanobacterium pluranimalium and Arcanobacterium pyogenes) demonstrated that the isolate represented a novel species. The unknown bacterium was readily distinguished from other Arcanobacterium species by biochemical tests. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown bacterium be classified as Arcanobacterium hippocoleae sp. nov. The type strain of A. hippocoleae is CCUG 44697T (= CIP 106850T).
