Kurthia ruminicola sp. nov., isolated from the rumen contents of a Holstein cow

Abstract

Gram-staining-positive, motile, rod-shaped bacteria, designated as H31022^T and H31024 was isolated from rumen contents of a Holstein cow. Optimum growth occurred at 25°C and pH 7.0 on R2A agar medium. Oxidase and catalase activities are positive. The 16S rRNA gene sequence (1,452 bp) of the new isolates revealed they belong to the genus Kurthia of the phylum Firmicutes. Highest gene sequence similarities were assessed to be with Kurthia massiliensis JC30^T (98.4%), Kurthia senegalensis JC8E^T (97.5%), and Kurthia populi 10y-14^T (97.4%). Kurthia sibirica DSM 4747^T (97.3%), Kurthia zopfii NBRC 101529^T (97.0%), and Kurthia gibsonii NCIMB 9758^T (96.7%). DNA G + C content of strains H31022^T and H31024 were 34.4% and 39.7%. Strains H31022^T and H31024 has the following chemotaxonomic characteristics; the major fatty acids are iso-C_15:0, iso-C_14:0 and anteiso-C₁₅; polar lipid profile contained diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), unknown aminophospholipids (APL), unknown glycolipids (GL), unknown phospholipids (PL), and unknown polar lipids (L); the major quinone is MK-7. Based on polyphasic taxonomic analysis, strains H31022^T (= KCTC 33923^T = JCM 19640^T) and H31024 (= KCTC 33924^T = JCM 19641^T) identified a novel species in the genus Kurthia for which the name Kurthia ruminicola sp. nov. is proposed.

Keywords: Holstein cow; Kurthia; rumen; taxonomy.