title: Suttonella ornithocola sp. nov., from birds of the tit families, and emended description of the genus Suttonella.
abstract: Phenotypic and phylogenetic studies were performed on three strains of Gram-negative, rod-shaped organisms recovered from dead birds of the tit families (blue tit, coal tit and long-tailed tit). Morphological, cultural and biochemical studies indicated that the organisms were related to the family Cardiobacteriaceae in the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies confirmed these findings and demonstrated that the bacterium represents a hitherto unknown subline within this family. The closest phylogenetic relative of the strains isolated from the birds was found to be Suttonella indologenes, although a sequence divergence of approximately 5 % demonstrated that the unknown bacterium represented a novel species. On the basis of the results of the phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic criteria, it is proposed that the bacteria recovered from the diseased birds represent a novel species, Suttonella ornithocola sp. nov., with strain B6/99/2T (=CCUG 49457T=NCTC 13337T) as the type strain.
authors.affiliation: SAC Veterinary Services, Drummondhill, Stratherrick Road, Inverness IV2 4JZ, UK.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Healthcare Associated Infection, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, London NW9 5HT, UK.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malnick
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019-0245, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Shaheed K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: MacGregor
authors.affiliation: School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D044065:Cardiobacteriaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S