International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol 50, 1253-1258, Copyright © 2000 by Society for General Microbiology

Lactobacillus fornicalis sp. nov., isolated from the posterior fornix of the human vagina

LMT Dicks, M Silvester, PA Lawson and MD Collins
Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa

Twelve strains isolated from the posterior fornix fluid of the human vagina were identified as Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus gallinarum and Lactobacillus crispatus based on numerical analyses of total soluble cell protein profiles and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR banding patterns. Five strains grouped with the type strains of Lactobacillus gasseri (DSM 20077(T)) and Lactobacillus jensenii (DSM 20557(T)) at r >= 0.83 in one protein profile cluster, well separated from the other species included in this study. However, numerical analysis of the RAPD-PCR banding patterns of representative strains selected from the L. gasseri--L. jensenii protein cluster clearly indicated that they belong to two different species. Four strains (TV 1010, TG 1013, TV 1018(T) and TV 1045) grouped into another well separated protein profile cluster at r >= 0.87. Strains selected from this cluster displayed very similar RAPD-PCR banding patterns and clustered at R(2) >= 0.78, separate from the other strains examined. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA of two representative strains, TV 1018(T) and TG 1013, of this group indicated that it represents a new member of rRNA group I Lactobacillus, which includes Lactobacillus delbrueckii, the type of the genus, and close relatives Lactobacillus acetotolerans, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactobacillus iners, L. jensenii, L. crispatus, L. acidophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus hamsteri, L. johnsonii, L. gasseri and Lactobacillus amylolyticus. The name Lactobacillus fornicalis sp. nov. is proposed for strains TV 1010 (DSM 13172), TG 1013, TV 1018(T) and TV 1045, with strain TV 1018(T) (=DSM 13171(T)=ATCC 700934(T)) as the type.

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