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Reclassification of Sphaerobacter thermophilus from the subclass Sphaerobacteridae in the phylum Actinobacteria to the class Thermomicrobia (emended description) in the phylum Chloroflexi (emended description)

Philip Hugenholtz^1, and Erko Stackebrandt²

¹ Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, 151 Hilgard Hall, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3110, USA
² DSMZ – Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Mascheroder Weg 1b, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany

Correspondence
Philip Hugenholtz
phugenholtz{at}lbl.gov

Sphaerobacter thermophilus was originally classified as the deepest branching member of the phylum Actinobacteria (high-G+C, Gram-positive bacteria) based on 16S rRNA gene comparative analysis. However, the analysis lacked suitable outgroups, and additional 16S rRNA gene sequences indicate that it is most closely related to Thermomicrobium roseum, which it also resembles phenotypically. Furthermore, both species are reproducibly affiliated with the phylum Chloroflexi (green non-sulfur bacteria), despite T. roseum currently being classified in its own phylum, the Thermomicrobia. Transfer of Sphaerobacter to the class Thermomicrobia, and transfer of the class Thermomicrobia to the phylum Chloroflexi, are proposed. Descriptions for the phylum Chloroflexi and the class Thermomicrobia are emended to reflect the proposed changes in classification.

Present address: DOE Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Creek Bldg 400-404, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA.

The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the 16S rRNA gene sequence of Sphaerobacter thermophilus DSM 20745^T is AJ420142.

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