Corynebacterium pelargi sp. nov., isolated from the trachea of white stork nestlings

Abstract

A Gram-stain-positive, pleomorphic, oxidase-negative, non-motile isolate from the trachea of a white stork from Poland, designated strain 136/3T, was subjected to a comprehensive taxonomic investigation. A comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed highest similarities to Corynebacterium mustelae , Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis , Corynebacterium vitaeruminis and Corynebacterium ulcerans (96.0–96.3 %). The quinone system consisted of major amounts of MK-8(H2), minor amounts of MK-9(H2) and traces of MK-8 and MK-9. The polar lipid profile of strain 136/3T contained phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol-mannoside as major lipids and phosphatidylglycerol and an acidic glycolipid in moderate amounts. In addition small amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, a phospholipid, an aminolipid and two lipids of unknown group affiliation were found. The polyamine pattern was composed of the major components spermidine and spermine. Putrescine, 1,3-diaminopropane, cadaverine, sym-homospermidine and tyramine were found in minor or trace amounts. The diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. In the fatty acid profile straight-chain, saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids predominated (C18 : 1ω9c, C16 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0, C18  : 0). Corynemycolic acids were detected. Physiological traits as well as unique traits of the polar lipid profile and the fatty acid pattern distinguished strain 136/3T from the most closely related species. All these results indicate that strain 136/3T represents a novel species of the genus Corynebacterium for which we propose the name Corynebacterium pelargi sp. nov. The type strain is 136/3T ( = CIP 110778T = CCM 8517T = LMG 28174T).