title: Mycobacterium alsense sp. nov., a scotochromogenic slow grower isolated from clinical respiratory specimens.
abstract: The name 'Mycobacterium alsiense', although reported in 2007, has not been validly published. Polyphasic characterization of three available strains of this species led us to the conclusion that they represent a distinct species within the genus Mycobacterium. The proposed novel species grows slowly and presents pale yellow-pigmented colonies. Differentiation from other mycobacteria is not feasible on the basis of biochemical and cultural features alone while genetic analysis, extended to eight housekeeping genes and one spacer region, reveals its clear distinction from all other mycobacteria. Mycobacterium asiaticum is the most closely related species on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences (similarity 99.3 %); the average nucleotide identity between the genomes of the two species is 80.72 %, clearly below the suggested cut-off (95-96 %). The name Mycobacterium alsense sp. nov. is proposed here for the novel species and replaces the name 'M. alsiense', ex Richter et al. 2007, given at the time of isolation of the first strain. The type strain is TB 1906T ( = DSM 45230T = CCUG 56586T).
authors.affiliation: Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tortoli
authors.affiliation: TB-Laboratory, Labor Limbach, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borroni
authors.affiliation: Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cabibbe
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Genomics and Bioinformatics, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capitolo
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Genomics and Bioinformatics, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cittaro
authors.affiliation: Structural Biochemistry, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Southern Danish University, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Mycobacteria, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, 138314, Germany.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hillemann
authors.affiliation: King Christian X Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, 7, Gråsten, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jette E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Genetics Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mariottini
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infection Medicine, University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.affiliation: Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cirillo
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S