title: Hafnia paralvei sp. nov., formerly known as Hafnia alvei hybridization group 2.
abstract: It has been shown previously, based largely on DNA-DNA hybridizations and partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing, that Hafnia alvei is genotypically heterogeneous and consists of at least two DNA hybridization groups (HGs). In the present study, the taxonomic status of H. alvei HGs 1 and 2 was reassessed. A panel of 24 reference strains and isolates previously assigned to one of the two HGs in H. alvei was subjected to (GTG)5-PCR fingerprinting; this resulted in the delineation of two (GTG)5-PCR clusters in perfect accordance with the respective HG designations. Based on full 16S rRNA gene sequencing of a selection of reference strains, H. alvei HGs 1 and 2 showed internal sequence similarities of 99.8 and 99.5%, respectively. Between the two groups, sequence similarities ranged from 98.8 to 99.1%. Mean DNA-DNA hybridization values of 74.7-99.9% were obtained within each of the two HGs, whereas cross-hybridizations between members of H. alvei HG 1 (including ATCC 13337T) and HG 2 revealed only 32.7-48.7 % DNA-DNA hybridization. Previously published and new phenotypic data revealed that a combination of malonate assimilation and beta-glucosidase activity enabled correct assignment of Hafnia isolates to one of the two HGs. Collectively, taxonomic data from this study confirm that H. alvei comprises at least two taxa at the species level, of which HG 1 corresponds to H. alvei sensu stricto because it includes the type strain ATCC 13337T. Strains formerly classified as members of H. alvei HG 2 represent a novel species, for which the name Hafnia paralvei sp. nov. is proposed; ATCC 29927T (=CDC 4510-73T =LMG 24706T), the former reference strain of H. alvei HG 2, is designated the type strain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huys
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Margo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cnockaert
authors.affiliation: Microbial Diseases Laboratory, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.affiliation: Microbial Diseases Laboratory, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Janda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandamme
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D020595:Hafnia / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D001617:beta-Glucosidase