title: Reclassification of strains MAFF 303099T and R7A into Mesorhizobiumjaponicum sp. nov.
abstract: In this work we revise the taxonomic status of the Lotus-nodulating strains MAFF 303099T and R7A isolated in Japan and New Zealand, respectively. Their 16S rRNA gene sequences are identical and show 98.0, 99.7, 99.8 and 99.9 % similarity values with respect to Mesorhizobium loti NZP 2213T, M. jarvisii ATCC 33669T, M. huakuii USDA 4779T (=CCBAU 2609T) and M. erdmanii USDA 3471T, respectively. The analysis of recA and glnII gene sequeces showed that M. jarvisii ATCC 33669T and M. huakuii USDA 4779T (=CCBAU 2609T) are the most closely related strains to MAFF 303099T and R7A, with similarity values suggesting that these two strains belong to a different species for which MAFF 303099T is selected as the type strain. The DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain MAFF 303099T and its closest phylogenetic relatives ranged from 53 to 60 % in average. Strains MAFF 303099T and R7A presented slight differences in the proportions of C18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c fatty acids with respect to M. jarvisii ATCC 33669T and M. huakuii USDA 4779T, and also in several phenotypic characteristics. Therefore, we propose the reclassification of these two strains into a novel species named Mesorhizobium japonicum sp. nov., with the type strain being MAFF 303099T (=LMG 29417T=CECT 9101T).
authors: Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Martínez-Hidalgo
authors: Desarrollo Sostenible de Sistemas Agroforestales y Ganaderos, IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain.|Unidad Asociada Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC 'Interacciones Planta-Microorganismo', Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Martha Helena
authors: MH
authors: Ramírez-Bahena
authors: Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors: José David
authors: JD
authors: Flores-Félix
authors: Desarrollo Sostenible de Sistemas Agroforestales y Ganaderos, IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain.|Unidad Asociada Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC 'Interacciones Planta-Microorganismo', Salamanca, Spain.
authors: José M
authors: JM
authors: Igual
authors: Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos, Estación Experimental del Zaidin, CSIC, Granada, Spain.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Sanjuán
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica, Microbiología, Biología Celular y Genética, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
authors: Milagros
authors: M
authors: León-Barrios
authors: Desarrollo Sostenible de Sistemas Agroforestales y Ganaderos, IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain.|Unidad Asociada Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC 'Interacciones Planta-Microorganismo', Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Alvaro
authors: A
authors: Peix
authors: Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.|Unidad Asociada Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC 'Interacciones Planta-Microorganismo', Salamanca, Spain.
authors: Encarna
authors: E
authors: Velázquez
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001482:Base Composition; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007564:Japan; D000070116:Lotus / Q000382:microbiology*; D059128:Mesorhizobium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D009520:New Zealand; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S