title: Corynebacterium sphenisci sp. nov., isolated from wild penguins.
abstract: Six unidentified gram-positive, rod-shaped organisms recovered from the cloacae of apparently healthy wild penguins were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. Chemotaxonomic investigations revealed the presence of a cell wall based on meso-diaminopimelic acid and long-chain cellular fatty acids of the straight-chain saturated and monounsaturated types, consistent with the genus Corynebacterium. Corynomycolic acids, which are characteristic of the genus, were also detected, albeit in small amounts. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies showed that the unidentified organisms were phylogenetically related to corynebacteria and represent a novel subline associated with a small subcluster of species that includes Corynebacterium xerosis, Corynebacterium amycolatum and Corynebacterium freneyi. The unknown isolates were readily distinguished from their closest phylogenetic relatives and all other Corynebacterium species with validly published names by using a combination of biochemical and chemotaxonomic criteria. Based on both phenotypic and 16S rRNA gene sequence considerations, it is proposed that the unknown isolates recovered from penguins be classified as a novel species in the genus Corynebacterium, Corynebacterium sphenisci sp. nov. The type strain is CECT 5990T (= CCUG 46398T).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goyache
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Vela
authors.affiliation: School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briones
authors.affiliation: School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hutson
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potti
authors.affiliation: CENPAT-CONICET, Bv. Brown s/n, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Borboroglu
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Fernández-Garayzábal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S