International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol 52, 207-210, Copyright © 2002 by Society for General Microbiology

Isobaculum melis gen. nov., sp. nov., a Carnobacterium-like organism isolated from the intestine of a badger

M. D. Collins, R. A. Hutson, G. Foster, E. Falsen and N. Weiss
School of Food Biosciences, Whiteknights, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK

Phenotypic and phylogenetic studies were performed on a hitherto undescribed facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative, Gram-positive rod-shaped organism, strain M577-94(T), isolated from the small intestine of a dead badger. It resembled carnobacteria in terms of its long-chain cellular fatty acid composition, but differed markedly from the latter in possessing a cell-wall murein based on L-lysine (type L-Lys--L-Thr--Gly). Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the unknown bacterium represents a new line closely related to, albeit distinct from, the genera Carnobacterium and Desemzia. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that strain M577-94(T) be classified as Isobaculum melis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Isobaculum melis is CCUG 37660(T) (=DSM 13760(T)).