title: Tsukamurella serpentis sp. nov., isolated from the oral cavity of Chinese cobras (Naja atra).
abstract: Two bacterial strains, HKU54T and HKU55, were isolated from the oral cavity of two Chinese cobras (Naja atra) in Hong Kong. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed 100 % sequence identity between HKU54T and HKU55, and the two strains shared 99.0 % sequence identities with Tsukamurella inchonensis ATCC 700082T. The two strains had unique biochemical profiles distinguishable from closely related species of the genus Tsukamurella. DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed that they belonged to the same species (≥92.1±7.9 % DNA-DNA relatedness) but were distinct from all other known species of the genus Tsukamurella (≤52.6±5.3 % DNA-DNA relatedness). Chemotaxonomic and morphological analyses of the two strains also demonstrated results consistent with their classification in the genus Tsukamurella. The DNA G+C contents of strains HKU54T and HKU55 were 69.2±1.5 mol% and 69.2±1.3 mol% (mean±sd; n=3) respectively. A novel species, Tsukamurella serpentis sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate strains HKU54T and HKU55, with HKU54T (=JCM 31017T=DSM 100915T) designated as the type strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Jade L L
authors.initials: JLL
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Candy L W
authors.initials: CLW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Antonio H Y
authors.initials: AHY
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Samson S Y
authors.initials: SSY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Eric K T
authors.initials: EKT
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Kenneth H L
authors.initials: KHL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Tak-Lun
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Que
authors.affiliation: Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SKP
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PCY
authors.lastname: Woo
mesh_terms: D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017815:Elapidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006723:Hong Kong; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S