Olsenella scatoligenes sp. nov., a 3-methylindole- (skatole) and 4-methylphenol- (p-cresol) producing bacterium isolated from pig faeces

Abstract

Strain SK9K4T, which is a strictly anaerobic, non-motile, non-sporulating, Gram-stain-positive, saccharolytic coccobacillus, was isolated from pig faeces. SK9K4T metabolized indol-3-acetic acid to 3-methylindole (skatole), which is the main contributor to boar taint; it also produced 4-methylphenol (p-cresol) from p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed that the isolate represented a new lineage within the genus Olsenella of the family Atopobiaceae . Strain SK9K4T was most closely related to the type strains of the three species of the genus Olsenella with validly published names; Olsenella profusa DSM 13989T (93.6 %), Olsenella uli DSM 7084T (93.5 %) and Olsenella umbonata DSM 22620T (92.7 %). DNA–DNA relatedness values of strain SK9K4T with O. profusa , O. uli and O. umbonata were 28.3 %, 69.1 % and 27.2 %, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was 62.1 mol% and the major cellular fatty acids (constituting >10 % of the total) were C14 : 0 and C18 : 1ω9c. The major end product of glucose fermentation was lactic acid, with minor amounts of acetic acid and formic acid; no H2 was produced. Discrepancies in the fatty acid profiles, the MALDI-TOF mass spectra of cell extracts and the physiological and biochemical characteristics differentiated strain SK9K4T from other species of the genus Olsenella and indicate that the isolate represents a novel species within this genus. The name Olsenella scatoligenes sp. nov., is proposed and the type strain is SK9K4T ( = JCM 19907T = DSM 28304T).