SGM Journals
New Taxa - Firmicutes And Related Organisms

Five new species of Listeria (L. floridensis sp. nov, L. aquatica sp. nov., L. cornellensis sp. nov. L. riparia sp. nov., and L. grandensis sp. nov.) from agricultural and natural environments in the United States

Henk C. den Bakker, Steven Warchocki, Emily M. Wright, Adam F. Allred, Christina Ahlstrom, Clyde S. Manuel, Matthew J. Stasiewicz, Angela Burrell, Sherry Roof, Laura Strawn, Esther D. Fortes, Kendra K. Nightingale, Daniel Kephart, Martin Wiedmann

  • 1 Cornell University;
  • 2 Life Technologies;
  • 3 University of Calgary;
  • 4 North Carolina State University;
  • 5 Massachusetts Department of Health;
  • 6 Texas Tech University
  • ↵7 E-mail: hcd5{at}cornell.edu

    • International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2014;:ijs.0.052720-0 · https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.052720-0

    View at publisher PubMed

    Abstract

    Sampling of agricultural and natural environments in two US states (Colorado and Florida) yielded 18 Listeria-like isolates that could not be identified as previously described species using traditional methods. Using whole genome sequencing and traditional phenotypic methods we identified five new species, each with a genome wide average blast nucleotide identity (ANIb) of less than 85% to currently described species. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences and amino acid sequences of 31 conserved loci showed the existence of four well-supported monophyletic clades within the genus Listeria; (i) a clade representing L. monocytogenes, L. marthii, L. innocua, L. welshimeri, L. seeligeri and L. ivanovii, which we refer to as Listeria sensu stricto, (ii), a clade consisting of L. fleischmannii and two newly described species, L. aquatica sp. nov. (type strain FSL S10-1188T =DSM 26686T =BEI NR-42633T) and L. floridensis sp. nov. (type strain FSL S10-1187T =DSM 26687T =BEI NR-42632T), (iii) a clade consisting of L. rocourtiae, L. weihenstephanensis, and three new species, L. cornellensis sp. nov. (type strain TTU A1-0210T = FSL F6-0969T =DSM 26689T =BEI NR-42630T), L. grandensis sp. nov. (type strain TTU A1-0212T =FSL F6-0971T =DSM 26688T =BEI NR-42631T) and L. riparia sp. nov. (type strains FSL 10-1204T =DSM 26685T = BEI NR- 42634T), and a clade containing L. grayi. Genomic and phenotypic data suggest the novel species are nonpathogenic.