Proposal of Nakamurella gen. nov. as a substitute for the bacterial genus Microsphaera Yoshimi et al. 1996 and Nakamurellaceae fam. nov. as a substitute for the illegitimate bacterial family Microsphaeraceae Rainey et al. 1997

The bacterial genus Microsphaera Yoshimi et al. 1996 is illegitimate because of priority of the fungal genus Microsphaera (Wallr.) Lév. [Principle 2, Rule 51b(4) of the Bacteriological Code]. Therefore, a new genus name, Nakamurella, is proposed for the bacterial genus. The type species Microsphaera multipartita Yoshimi et al. 1996 becomes Nakamurella multipartita gen. nov., comb. nov. Due to the illegitimacy of the only genus in the family Microsphaeraceae Rainey et al. 1997, this family name is replaced by the new bacterial family name Nakamurellaceae.

---

Published online ahead of print on 18 September 2003 as DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.02933-0.

Léveillé (1851) renamed the fungus Alphitomorpha divaricata Wallr. as Microsphaera divaricata (Wallr.) Lév. [Ann Sci Nat Bot Ser 3 15 (1851), 155 & 381; cf. Saccardo, 1972; Kirk et al., 2001]. M. divaricata is a pathogenic fungus which causes powdery mildew on the plant Frangula alnus. The genus Microsphaera belongs to the family Erysiphaceae and contains dozens of species. Until recently new species were described within this genus (Kirk et al., 2001).

Yoshimi et al. (1996) described a novel Gram-positive bacterial genus, Microsphaera, and species, Microsphaera multipartita, of coccoid morphology, isolated from activated sludge and able to accumulate polysaccharides. When Stackebrandt et al. (1997) rearranged the bacterial class Actinobacteria, they classified the genus Microsphaera in the new family Microsphaeraceae Rainey et al. 1997, suborder Frankineae, order Actinomycetales, subclass Actinobacteridae, class Actinobacteria.

Referring to Principle 1(2) of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (1990 revision), the use of names which may cause error or confusion should be avoided (Lapage et al., 1992). Furthermore, according to Principle 2 and Rule 51b(4) of the Bacteriological Code the nomenclature of bacteria is not independent of the nomenclature of fungi, algae and protozoa, so the rules of priority are applicable here, too. Therefore, the bacterial genus name Microsphaera Yoshimi et al. 1996 is illegitimate and must be replaced.

We propose to replace the bacterial genus name Microsphaera by Nakamurella, and to transfer the only species of the bacterial genus Microsphaera to Nakamurella as Nakamurella multipartita. For the same reasons, the illegitimate family name Microsphaeraceae is replaced by Nakamurellaceae.