title: Streptococcus equi subsp. ruminatorum subsp. nov., isolated from mastitis in small ruminants.
abstract: Six isolates of an unknown Gram-positive, catalase-negative, chain-forming, coccus-shaped organism isolated from ovine and caprine mastitis were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. On the basis of cellular morphology and the results of biochemical tests, the organism was tentatively identified as a streptococcal species. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies confirmed that the organism is a member of the genus Streptococcus, with Streptococcus equi as its closest phylogenetic relative (98.8 % similarity). DNA-DNA pairing studies showed that the unidentified organism displayed more than 70 % relatedness to the type strains of S. equi subsp. equi and subsp. zooepidemicus. Despite the relatively high DNA-DNA reassociation values, biotyping and ribotyping allowed clear differentiation of the unknown bacterium from the two recognized subspecies of S. equi. On the basis of phenotypic and molecular genetic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown Streptococcus isolates from ovine and caprine mastitis be classified as a novel subspecies, Streptococcus equi subsp. ruminatorum subsp. nov. The type strain is CECT 5772(T) (=CCUG 47520(T)=Mt 167(T)).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blume
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.affiliation: School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Fernández-Garayzábal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D005840:Gentian Violet; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006041:Goats; D008413:Mastitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010619:Phenazines; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D021521:Ribotyping; D012418:Ruminants / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018502:Streptococcus equi / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; C035863:Gram's stain; D010619:Phenazines; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002374:Catalase; D005840:Gentian Violet