Reclassification of Enterococcus flavescens Pompei et al. 1992 as a later synonym of Enterococcus casseliflavus (ex Vaughan et al. 1979) Collins et al. 1984 and Enterococcus saccharominimus Vancanneyt et al. 2004 as a later synonym of Enterococcus italicus Fortina et al. 2004.
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 (>or=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.
Naser
Sabri M
SM
BCCMTM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.|Laboratory of Microbiology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
Vancanneyt
Marc
M
BCCMTM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
Hoste
Bart
B
BCCMTM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
Snauwaert
Cindy
C
BCCMTM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
Vandemeulebroecke
Katrien
K
BCCMTM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
Swings
Jean
J
BCCMTM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.|Laboratory of Microbiology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; C113275:RNA polymerase alpha subunit