Neisseria weaveri sp.nov. (formerly CDC Group M-5), from dog bite wounds of humans

Holmes, B.; Costas, M.; On, S.L.W.; van Damme, P.; Falsen, E.; Kersters, K.

doi:10.1099/00207713-43-4-687

Title

Neisseria weaveri sp.nov. (formerly CDC Group M-5), from dog bite wounds of humans

Author

Holmes, B.

Costas, M.

On, S.L.W.

van Damme, P.

Falsen, E.

Kersters, K.

Abstract

The taxonomic relationships of strains belonging to Centers for Disease Control group M-5 were examined. Previous studies of rRNA cistron similarities placed this organism on the Neisseriaceae rRNA branch of rRNA superfamily III; the closest neighbors included the genus Neisseria and groups EF-4a and EF-4b. The group M-5 strains were characterized by a range of phenotypic tests, and their G+C contents and DNA-DNA relatedness levels were determined. In addition, a numerical taxonomic analysis of the whole-cell protein patterns (obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) of group M-5 and related taxa was performed. The strains studied included 45 group M-5 strains, the type strains of six Neisseria species or subspecies, three group EF-4a reference strains, and three group EF-4b reference strains plus the type strain of the phenotypically similar organism Oligella urethralis. Our results showed that the group M-5 strains were members of a homogeneous taxon distinct from phylogenetically closely related taxa. The genomic divergence as revealed by levels of rRNA cistron similarity and phenotypic characteristics indicate that group M-5 can be considered a new species of the genus Neisseria. We therefore propose the new species Neisseria weaveri, with NCTC 12742 (= CCUG 4007 = ISL775/91 = LMG 5135) as the type strain. N. weaveri strains are strictly aerobic, gram-negative, nonmotile, rod-shaped organisms which are catalase and oxidase positive, nonsaccharolytic, and able to grow on MacConkey agar and do not reduce nitrate but generally reduce nitrite. The guanine-plus-cytosine contents of the DNAs of six representative strains were in the range from 50 to 51 mol%. Almost all 45 group M-5 strains were originally isolated from human wounds following dog bites.

Language

English

Source (journal)

International journal of systematic bacteriology. - Washington, D.C.

Publication

Washington, D.C. : 1993

ISSN

0020-7713

DOI

10.1099/00207713-43-4-687

Volume/pages

43 :4 (1993) , p. 687-693