Corynebacterium sphenisci sp. nov., isolated from wild penguins

GOYACHE, J.; BALLESTEROS, C.; VELA, A.I.; COLLINS, M.D.; BRIOMNES, V.; HUTSON, R.; POTTI, J.; GARCÍA BORBOROGLU, PABLO; DOMINGUEZ, L.; FERNANDEZ, J.L.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY.

SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY

Lugar: Londres, Inglaterra; Año: 2003 p. 1009 - 1012

1466-5026

Six unidentified Gram-positive, rod-shaped organisms recovered from the cloaca of apparently healthy wild penguins were characterised by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. Chemotaxonomic investigations revealed the presence of a cell wall based on meso-diaminopimelic acid and long-chain cellular fatty acids of the straight-chain saturated and monounsaturated types, consistent with the Corynebacterium genus. Corynomycolic acids, which are characteristic of the genus, were also detected albeit in small amounts. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies showed the unidentified organisms were phylogenetically related to corynebacteria, and represent a new sub-line associated with a small sub-cluster species which includes Corynebacterium xerosis, Corynebacterium amycolatum and Corynebacterium freneyii. The unknown isolates were readily distinguished from their closest phylogenetic relatives and all other currently validated Corynebacterium species by using a combination of biochemical and chemotaxonomic criteria. Based on both phenotypic and 16S rRNA gene sequence considerations, it is proposed that the unknown isolates recovered from penguins be classified as a new species in the genus Corynebacterium, Corynebacterium sphenisci sp. nov. The type strain of C. sphenisci is CECT 5990T = CCUG 46398T.