Revision of Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and Wolinella taxonomy: emendation of generic descriptions and proposal of Arcobacter gen. nov.

Hybridization experiments were carried out between DNAs from more than 70 strains of Campylobacter spp. and related taxa and either 3H-labeled 23S rRNAs from reference strains belonging to Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter concisus, Campylobacter sputorum, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter nitrofigilis, an unnamed Campylobacter sp. strain, and a Wolinella succinogenes strain or 3H- or 14C-labeled 23S rRNAs from 13 gram-negative reference strains. An immunotyping analysis of 130 antigens versus 34 antisera of campylobacters and related taxa was also performed. We found that all of the named campylobacters and related taxa belong to the same phylogenetic group, which we name rRNA superfamily VI and which is far removed from the gram-negative bacteria allocated to the five rRNA superfamilies sensu De Ley. There is a high degree of heterogeneity within this rRNA superfamily. Organisms belonging to rRNA superfamily VI should be reclassified in several genera. We propose that the emended genus Campylobacter should be limited to Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter hyointestinalis, Campylobacter concisus, Campylobacter mucosalis, Campylobacter sputorum, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter lari, and "Campylobacter upsaliensis." Wolinella curva and Wolinella recta are transferred to the genus Campylobacter as Campylobacter curvus comb. nov. and Campylobacter rectus comb. nov., respectively. Bacteroides gracilis and Bacteroides ureolyticus are generically misnamed and are closely related to the genus Campylobacter. Campylobacter nitrofigilis, Campylobacter cryaerophila, and an unnamed Campylobacter sp. strain constitute a new genus, for which the name Arcobacter is proposed; this genus contains two species, Arcobacter nitrofigilis comb. nov. (type species) and Arcobacter cryaerophilus comb. nov. Wolinella succinogenes so far is the only species of the genus Wolinella. The genus Helicobacter is also emended; Campylobacter cinaedi and Campylobacter fennelliae are included in this genus as Helicobacter cinaedi comb. nov. and Helicobacter fennelliae comb. nov., respectively. The genus "Flexispira," with "Flexispira rappini" as the only species, is closely related to the genus Helicobacter. The free-living, sulfur-reducing campylobacters do not belong to any of these genera; they probably constitute a distinct genus within rRNA superfamily VI.     

Complete genome sequence of Jonesia denitrificans type strain (Prevot 55134)

Jonesia denitrificans (Prevot 1961) Rocourt et al. 1987 is the type species of the genus Jonesia, and is of phylogenetic interest because of its isolated location in the actinobacterial suborder Micrococcineae. J. denitrificans is characterized by a typical coryneform morphology and is able to form irregular nonsporulating rods showing branched and club-like forms. Coccoid cells occur in older cultures. J. denitrificans is classified as a pathogenic organism for animals (vertebrates). The type strain whose genome is described here was originally isolated from cooked ox blood. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence of a member of the genus for which a complete genome sequence is described. The 2,749,646 bp long genome with its 2558 protein-coding and 71 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Sulfurospirillum deleyianum type strain (5175)

Sulfurospirillum deleyianum Schumacher et al. 1993 is the type species of the genus Sulfurospirillum. S. deleyianum is a model organism for studying sulfur reduction and dissimilatory nitrate reduction as an energy source for growth. Also, it is a prominent model organism for studying the structural and functional characteristics of cytochrome c nitrite reductase. Here, we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence of the genus Sulfurospirillum. The 2,306,351 bp long genome with its 2,291 protein-coding and 52 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Aminobacterium colombiense type strain (ALA-1)

Aminobacterium colombiense Baena et al. 1999 is the type species of the genus Aminobacterium. This genus is of large interest because of its isolated phylogenetic location in the family Synergistaceae, its strictly anaerobic lifestyle, and its ability to grow by fermentation of a limited range of amino acids but not carbohydrates. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the second completed genome sequence of a member of the family Synergistaceae and the first genome sequence of a member of the genus Aminobacterium. The 1,980,592 bp long genome with its 1,914 protein-coding and 56 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Cellulomonas flavigena type strain (134)

Cellulomonas flavigena (Kellerman and McBeth 1912) Bergey et al. 1923 is the type species of the genus Cellulomonas of the actinobacterial family Cellulomonadaceae. Members of the genus Cellulomonas are of special interest for their ability to degrade cellulose and hemicellulose, particularly with regard to the use of biomass as an alternative energy source. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the genus Cellulomonas, and next to the human pathogen Tropheryma whipplei the second complete genome sequence within the actinobacterial family Cellulomonadaceae. The 4,123,179 bp long single replicon genome with its 3,735 protein-coding and 53 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Haliangium ochraceum type strain (SMP-2)

Haliangium ochraceum Fudou et al. 2002 is the type species of the genus Haliangium in the myxococcal family 'Haliangiaceae'. Members of the genus Haliangium are the first halophilic myxobacterial taxa described. The cells of the species follow a multicellular lifestyle in highly organized biofilms, called swarms, they decompose bacterial and yeast cells as most myxobacteria do. The fruiting bodies contain particularly small coccoid myxospores. H. ochraceum encodes the first actin homologue identified in a bacterial genome. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the myxococcal suborder Nannocystineae, and the 9,446,314 bp long single replicon genome with its 6,898 protein-coding and 53 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Capnocytophaga ochracea type strain (VPI 2845)

Capnocytophaga ochracea (Prévot et al. 1956) Leadbetter et al. 1982 is the type species of the genus Capnocytophaga. It is of interest because of its location in the Flavobacteriaceae, a genomically not yet charted family within the order Flavobacteriales. The species grows as fusiform to rod shaped cells which tend to form clumps and are able to move by gliding. C. ochracea is known as a capnophilic (CO(2)-requiring) organism with the ability to grow under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions (oxygen concentration larger than 15%), here only in the presence of 5% CO(2). Strain VPI 2845(T), the type strain of the species, is portrayed in this report as a gliding, Gram-negative bacterium, originally isolated from a human oral cavity. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence from the flavobacterial genus Capnocytophaga, and the 2,612,925 bp long single replicon genome with its 2193 protein-coding and 59 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Nakamurella multipartita type strain (Y-104)

Nakamurella multipartita (Yoshimi et al. 1996) Tao et al. 2004 is the type species of the monospecific genus Nakamurella in the actinobacterial suborder Frankineae. The nonmotile, coccus-shaped strain was isolated from activated sludge acclimated with sugar-containing synthetic wastewater, and is capable of accumulating large amounts of polysaccharides in its cells. Here we describe the features of the organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the family Nakamurellaceae. The 6,060,298 bp long single replicon genome with its 5415 protein-coding and 56 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Eggerthella lenta type strain (IPP VPI 0255)

Eggerthella lenta (Eggerth 1935) Wade et al. 1999, emended Würdemann et al. 2009 is the type species of the genus Eggerthella, which belongs to the actinobacterial family Coriobacteriaceae. E. lenta is a Gram-positive, non-motile, non-sporulating pathogenic bacterium that can cause severe bacteremia. The strain described in this study has been isolated from a rectal tumor in 1935. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the genus Eggerthella, and the 3,632,260 bp long single replicon genome with its 3123 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Xylanimonas cellulosilytica type strain (XIL07)

Xylanimonas cellulosilytica Rivas et al. 2003 is the type species of the genus Xylanimonas of the actinobacterial family Promicromonosporaceae. The species X. cellulosilytica is of interest because of its ability to hydrolyze cellulose and xylan. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the large family Promicromonosporaceae, and the 3,831,380 bp long genome (one chromosome plus an 88,604 bp long plasmid) with its 3485 protein-coding and 61 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Atopobium parvulum type strain (IPP 1246)

Atopobium parvulum (Weinberg et al. 1937) Collins and Wallbanks 1993 comb. nov. is the type strain of the species and belongs to the genomically yet unstudied Atopobium/Olsenella branch of the family Coriobacteriaceae. The species A. parvulum is of interest because its members are frequently isolated from the human oral cavity and are found to be associated with halitosis (oral malodor) but not with periodontitis. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the genus Atopobium, and the 1,543,805 bp long single replicon genome with its 1369 protein-coding and 49 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Calditerrivibrio nitroreducens type strain (Yu37-1)

Calditerrivibrio nitroreducens Iino et al. 2008 is the type species of the genus Calditerrivibrio. The species is of interest because of its important role in the nitrate cycle as nitrate reducer and for its isolated phylogenetic position in the Tree of Life. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the third complete genome sequence of a member of the family Deferribacteraceae. The 2,216,552 bp long genome with its 2,128 protein-coding and 50 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Syntrophothermus lipocalidus type strain (TGB-C1)

Syntrophothermus lipocalidus Sekiguchi et al. 2000 is the type species of the genus Syntrophothermus. The species is of interest because of its strictly anaerobic lifestyle, its participation in the primary step of the degradation of organic maters, and for releasing products which serve as substrates for other microorganisms. It also contributes significantly to maintain a regular pH in its environment by removing the fatty acids through β-oxidation. The strain is able to metabolize isobutyrate and butyrate, which are the substrate and the product of degradation of the substrate, respectively. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the genus Syntrophothermus and the second in the family Syntrophomonadaceae. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 2,405,559 bp long genome with its 2,385 protein-coding and 55 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Pedobacter heparinus type strain (HIM 762-3)

Pedobacter heparinus (Payza and Korn 1956) Steyn et al. 1998 comb. nov. is the type species of the rapidly growing genus Pedobacter within the family Sphingobacteriaceae of the phylum 'Bacteroidetes'. P. heparinus is of interest, because it was the first isolated strain shown to grow with heparin as sole carbon and nitrogen source and because it produces several enzymes involved in the degradation of mucopolysaccharides. All available data about this species are based on a sole strain that was isolated from dry soil. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first report on a complete genome sequence of a member of the genus Pedobacter, and the 5,167,383 bp long single replicon genome with its 4287 protein-coding and 54 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Anaerococcus prevotii type strain (PC1)

Anaerococcus prevotii (Foubert and Douglas 1948) Ezaki et al. 2001 is the type species of the genus, and is of phylogenetic interest because of its arguable assignment to the provisionally arranged family 'Peptostreptococcaceae'. A. prevotii is an obligate anaerobic coccus, usually arranged in clumps or tetrads. The strain, whose genome is described here, was originally isolated from human plasma; other strains of the species were also isolated from clinical specimen. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence of a member of the genus. Next to Finegoldia magna, A. prevotii is only the second species from the family 'Peptostreptococcaceae' for which a complete genome sequence is described. The 1,998,633 bp long genome (chromosome and one plasmid) with its 1852 protein-coding and 61 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Sphaerobacter thermophilus type strain (S 6022)

Sphaerobacter thermophilus Demharter et al. 1989 is the sole and type species of the genus Sphaerobacter, which is the type genus of the family Sphaerobacteraceae, the order Sphaerobacterales and the subclass Sphaerobacteridae. Phylogenetically, it belongs to the genomically little studied class of the Thermomicrobia in the bacterial phylum Chloroflexi. Here, the genome of strain S 6022(T) is described which is an obligate aerobe that was originally isolated from an aerated laboratory-scale fermentor that was pulse fed with municipal sewage sludge. We describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the thermomicrobial subclass Sphaerobacteridae, and the second sequence from the chloroflexal class Thermomicrobia. The 3,993,764 bp genome with its 3,525 protein-coding and 57 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Saccharomonospora viridis type strain (P101)

Saccharomonospora viridis (Schuurmans et al. 1956) Nonomurea and Ohara 1971 is the type species of the genus Saccharomonospora which belongs to the family Pseudonocardiaceae. S. viridis is of interest because it is a Gram-negative organism classified among the usually Gram-positive actinomycetes. Members of the species are frequently found in hot compost and hay, and its spores can cause farmer's lung disease, bagassosis, and humidifier fever. Strains of the species S. viridis have been found to metabolize the xenobiotic pentachlorophenol (PCP). The strain described in this study has been isolated from peat-bog in Ireland. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the family Pseudonocardiaceae, and the 4,308,349 bp long single replicon genome with its 3906 protein-coding and 64 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Thermanaerovibrio acidaminovorans type strain (Su883)

Thermanaerovibrio acidaminovorans (Guangsheng et al. 1997) Baena et al. 1999 is the type species of the genus Thermanaerovibrio and is of phylogenetic interest because of the very isolated location of the novel phylum Synergistetes. T. acidaminovorans Su883(T) is a Gram-negative, motile, non-spore-forming bacterium isolated from an anaerobic reactor of a sugar refinery in The Netherlands. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence from a member of the phylum Synergistetes. The 1,848,474 bp long single replicon genome with its 1765 protein-coding and 60 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Isosphaera pallida type strain (IS1B)

Isosphaera pallida (ex Woronichin 1927) Giovannoni et al. 1995 is the type species of the genus Isosphaera. The species is of interest because it was the first heterotrophic bacterium known to be phototactic, and it occupies an isolated phylogenetic position within the Planctomycetaceae. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the genus Isosphaera and the third of a member of the family Planctomycetaceae. The 5,472,964 bp long chromosome and the 56,340 bp long plasmid with a total of 3,763 protein-coding and 60 RNA genes are part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.