Phylogenetic analysis of the genera Proteus, Morganella and Providencia by comparison of rpoB gene sequences of type and clinical strains suggests the reclassification of Proteus myxofaciens in a new genus, Cosenzaea gen. nov., as Cosenzaea myxofaciens comb. nov.
Phylogenetic analysis of partial rpoB gene sequences of type and clinical strains belonging to different 16S rRNA gene-fingerprinting ribogroups within 11 species of enterobacteria of the genera Proteus, Morganella and Providencia was performed and allowed the definition of rpoB clades, supported by high bootstrap values and confirmed by ≥2.5 % nucleotide divergence. None of the resulting clades included strains belonging to different species and the majority of the species were confirmed as discrete and homogeneous. However, more than one distinct rpoB clade could be defined among strains belonging to the species Proteus vulgaris (two clades), Providencia alcalifaciens (two clades) and Providencia rettgeri (three clades), suggesting that some strains represent novel species according to the genotypes outlined by rpoB gene sequence analysis. Percentage differences between the rpoB gene sequence of the type strain of Proteus myxofaciens and other members of the same genus (17.3-18.9 %) were similar to those calculated amongst strains of the genus Providencia (16.4-18.7 %), suggesting a genetic distance at the genus-level between Proteus myxofaciens and the rest of the Proteus-Providencia group. Proteus myxofaciens therefore represents a member of a new genus, for which the name Cosenzaea gen. nov., is proposed.
Giammanco
Giovanni M
GM
Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute, G. D'Alessandro, Università di Palermo, I-90127 Palermo, Italy.
Grimont
Patrick A D
PAD
Unité Biodiversité des Bactéries Pathogènes Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France.
Grimont
Francine
F
Unité Biodiversité des Bactéries Pathogènes Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France.
Lefevre
Martine
M
Unité Biodiversité des Bactéries Pathogènes Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France.
Giammanco
Giuseppe
G
Dipartimento 'G.F. Ingrassia' Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Università di Catania, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
Pignato
Sarina
S
Dipartimento 'G.F. Ingrassia' Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Università di Catania, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020596:Morganella / Q000145:classification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011511:Proteus / Q000145:classification*; D011532:Providencia / Q000145:classification*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; C105078:RNA polymerase beta subunit