Cronobacter condimenti sp. nov., isolated from spiced meat and Cronobacter universalis sp. nov., a novel species designation for Cronobacter sp. genomospecies 1, recovered from a leg infection, water, and food ingredients

A re-evaluation of the taxonomic position of five strains, one assigned to Cronobacter sakazakii(1330^T), two previously identified as Cronobacter genomospecies 1 (strain NCTC 9529^T and strain 731), and two as Cronobacter turicensis (strain 96 and 1435) was carried out using a polyphasic approach. The analysis included a phenotypic characterization, sequencing of the 16S rRNA and a Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of seven housekeeping genes (atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, ppsA; 3036 bp). The 16S rRNA and MLSA analyses showed strain 1330^T, isolated from spiced meat purchased in Slovakia, to form an independent phylogenetic line. Cronobacter dublinensis was the closest neighbour species on the basis of the MLSA. DNA-DNA reassociation experiments and phenotypic analysis revealed that strain 1330^T represented a novel species, for which the name Cronobacter condimenti sp. nov. is proposed, type strain 1330^T =CECT 7863^T, =LMG 26250^T). The 4 bacterial strains NCTC 9529^T, 731, 96, and 1435, isolated from water, a leg infection and two food ingredients; onion powder and rye flour, respectively, showed on the MLSA phylogenetic tree to cluster together within an independent phylogenetic line, with Cronobacter turicensis as the closest species. The DNA-DNA hybridization data and the phenotypic characterization confirmed that these strains represented a novel species, for which the name Cronobacter universalis sp. nov. is proposed with type strain NCTC 9529^T =CECT 7864^T,=LMG 26249^T.