Intrageneric structure of the genus Gluconobacter analyzed by the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer sequences

Forty-nine strains belonging to the genus Gluconobacter were re-examined with respect to their species identification based on the sequences of the 16S rDNA and 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS). A phylogenetic tree constructed from the 16S rDNA sequences indicated the presence of five clusters corresponding, respectively, to the major five species of the genus Gluconobacter, namely G. albidus, G. cerinus, G. frateurii, G. oxydans (type species), and G. thailandicus. The type strain of G. asaii, NBRC 3276T (T=type strain) was included in the G. cerinus cluster, which is consistent with the report that G. asaii is a junior subjective synonym of G. cerinus. Existence of the G. albidus, G. cerinus, G. frateurii, G. oxydans, and G. thailandicus clusters was also recognized by the ITS sequence analysis. Both sequence analyses revealed that the G. cerinus and G. frateurii clusters were heterogeneous. The G. cerinus cluster comprised three strains of G. cerinus and one strain of G. frateurii, while the G. frateurii cluster included ten strains of G. frateurii, three of G. cerinus, and eleven of G. oxydans. These results suggest that phenotypic differences among Gluconobacter species are ambiguous and the species definition must be re-evaluated. The 16S rDNA and ITS sequences determined in this study are valuable for the identification and phylogenetic analysis of Gluconobacter species.