Tumebacillus avium sp. nov., isolated from the gut of a cinereous vulture, Aegypius monachus

Fodinisporobacter ferrooxydans gen. nov., sp. nov.-A Spore-Forming Ferrous-Oxidizing Bacterium Isolated from a Polymetallic Mine

A novel acidophilic, aerobic bacterium strain, MYW30-H2T, was isolated from a heap of polymetallic mine. Cells of strain MYW30-H2T were Gram-stain-positive, endospore-forming, motile, and rod-shaped. Strain MYW30-H2T grew at a temperature range of 30-45 °C (optimum 40 °C) and a pH range of 3.5-6.0 (optimum 4.0) in the presence of 0-0.5% (w/v) NaCl. Strain MYW30-H2T could grow heterotrophically on yeast extract and glucose, and grow mixotrophically using ferrous iron as an electron donor with yeast extract. Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was the sole respiratory quinone of the strain. Iso-C15:0 and anteiso-C15:0 were the major cellular fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that MYW30-H2T was phylogenetically affiliated with the family Alicyclobacillaceae, and the sequence similarity with other Alicyclobacillaceae genera species was below 91.51%. The average amino acid identity value of the strain with its phylogenetically related species was 52.3-62.1%, which fell into the genus boundary range. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 44.2%. Based on physiological and phylogenetic analyses, strain MYW30-H2T represents a novel species of a new genus of the family Alicyclobacillaceae, for which the name Fodinisporobacter ferrooxydans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MYW30-H2T (=CGMCC 1.17422T = KCTC 43278T).

Exploration of culturable bacterial associates of aphids and their interactions with entomopathogens

Aphids shelter several bacteria that benefit them in various ways. The associates having an obligatory relationship are non-culturable, while a few of facultative associates are culturable in insect cell lines, axenic media or standard microbiology media. In the present investigation, isolation, and characterization of the culturable bacterial associates of various aphid species, viz., Rhopalosiphum maidis, Rhopalosiphum padi, Sitobion avenae, Schizaphis graminum, and Lipaphis erysimi pseudobrassicae were carried out. A total of 42 isolates were isolated using different growth media, followed by their morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization. The isolated culturable bacterial associates were found to belong to the genera Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Cytobacillus, Fictibacillus, Planococcus, Priestia, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Sutcliffiella, and Tumebacillus which were grouped under seven families of four different orders of phyla Bacillota (Firmicutes) and Pseudomonata (Proteobacteria). Symbiont-entomopathogen interaction study was also conducted, in which the quantification of colony forming units of culturable bacterial associates of entomopathogenic fungal-treated aphids led us to the assumption that the bacterial load in aphid body can be altered by the application of entomopathogens. Whereas, the mycelial growth of entomopathogens Akanthomyces lecanii and Metarhizium anisopliae was found uninhibited by the bacterial associates obtained from Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi. Analyzing persistent aphid microflora and their interactions with entomopathogens enhances our understanding of aphid resistance. It also fosters the development of innovative solutions for agricultural pest management, highlighting the intricate dynamics of symbiotic relationships in pest management strategies.

Tumebacillus lacus sp. nov., isolated from lake water

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, endospore-forming and motile, by means of peritrichous flagella, bacterium, designated DT12T, was isolated from a lake water sample from Datun Lake of Yunnan Province, PR China. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and the concatenated alignment of 120 ubiquitous single-copy proteins indicated that the novel strain represented a member of the genus Tumebacillus. The sole quinone was menaquinone-7 and the cell-wall peptidoglycan was type-A1γ. The major fatty acids (>10 %) of the novel strain were iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0, while the major polar lipids were phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The results of phylogenetic analyses combined with phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features, strongly supported the hypothesis that the strain should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Tumebacillus, for which the name Tumebacillus lacus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DT12T (=KCTC 33958T= MCCC 1H00320T). The genomic analysis revealed that DT12T has various biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites, and members of the genus Tumebacillus may represent a promising source of new natural products. Our study also showed that members of the genus Tumebacillus are widely distributed in a variety of habitats throughout the globe, particularly in soils, human-, animal- and plant-associated environments. Members of the genus Tumebacillus may have an important role in the growth and health of humans, plants and animals.

Comprehensive analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters in bacteria and discovery of Tumebacillus as a potential producer of natural products

Limited microbial genera such as Streptomyces have served as sources of natural products (NPs), whereas most others have been less investigated. The vast accumulation of genomic data available in the NCBI database enables us to bioinformatically estimate the ability of other microbial groups to produce NPs. We analyzed 21,052 complete bacterial genome sequences using antiSMASH and compared the average numbers of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) related to polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, and/or terpenes biosynthesis at the genus level. Our bioinformatic analyses showed that Tumebacillus has 5-15 BGCs and is a promising NP producer. We searched for NPs from the culture broth of Tumebacillus permanentifrigoris JCM 14557^T and found two novel compounds (tumebacin with anti-Bacillus activity and tumepyrazine) and identified two known compounds. Our results highlight the diversity of sources of NPs awaiting discovery.

Update on Novel Taxa and Revised Taxonomic Status of Bacteria Isolated from Nondomestic Animals Described in 2018 to 2021

Revisions and new additions to bacterial taxonomy can have a significant widespread impact on clinical practice, infectious disease epidemiology, veterinary microbiology laboratory operations, and wildlife conservation efforts. The expansion of genome sequencing technologies has revolutionized our knowledge of the microbiota of humans, animals, and insects. Here, we address novel taxonomy and nomenclature revisions of veterinary significance that impact bacteria isolated from nondomestic wildlife, with emphasis being placed on bacteria that are associated with disease in their hosts or were isolated from host animal species that are culturally significant, are a target of conservation efforts, or serve as reservoirs for human pathogens.

Tumebacillus amylolyticus sp. nov., isolated from garden soil in Korea

A starch-degrading novel strain, designated as strain ITR2T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a garden near Dongguk University located in Goyang, Republic of Korea. The strain was identified as Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, and motile by means of peritrichous flagella. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed the novel strain to form a separate clade with Tumebacillus permanentifrigoris Eur1 9.5T (98.3 %) while also clustering with Tumebacillus flagellatus GST4T (97.9 %). Strain ITR2T grew optimally at temperatures of 20–30 °C, at pH 6.0–7.0 and at NaCl concentrations of 0–1 %. The sole quinone was menaquinone-7 and the cell-wall peptidoglycan comprised alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine and meso-diaminopimelic acid (type-A1γ peptidoglycan). The major fatty acids (>10%) of the novel strain were C16 : 0, iso-C14 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0, while the major polar lipids were phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified phospholipid. Other polar lipids of the novel strain included, two unidentified glycolipids, three unidentified phospholipids and one unidentified lipid. The in silico DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain ITR2T and its reference strains ( T. permanentifrigoris DSM 18773T and T. flagellatus GST4T) were 21.3 and 23.9 %, respectively, while the average nucleotide identity values were 78.5 and 81.2 %, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was 54.9 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and genomic data obtained in the present study, we propose Tumebacillus amylolyticus sp. nov. to be a novel species within the genus Tumebacillus . The type strain is ITR2T (=KCTC 43280T=NBRC 114753T).

No guts about it: captivity, but not neophobia phenotype, influences the cloacal microbiome of house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

Behavioral traits such as anxiety and depression have been linked to diversity of the gut microbiome in humans, domesticated animals, and lab-bred model species, but the extent to which this link exists in wild animals, and thus its ecological relevance, is poorly understood. We examined the relationship between a behavioral trait (neophobia) and the cloacal microbiome in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus,n = 22) to determine whether gut microbial diversity is related to personality in a wild animal. We swabbed the cloaca immediately upon capture, assessed neophobia phenotypes in the lab, and then swabbed the cloaca again after several weeks in captivity to additionally test whether the microbiome of different personality types is affected disparately by captivity, and characterized gut microbiomes using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We did not detect differences in cloacal alpha or beta microbial diversity between neophobic and non-neophobic house sparrows, and diversity for both phenotypes was negatively impacted by captivity. Although our results suggest that the adult cloacal microbiome and neophobia are not strongly linked in wild sparrows, we did detect specific OTUs that appeared more frequently and at higher abundances in neophobic sparrows, suggesting that links between the gut microbiome and behavior may occur at the level of specific taxa. Further investigations of personality and the gut microbiome are needed in more wild species to reveal how the microbiome-gut-brain axis and behavior interact in an ecological context.

Draft Genome Sequence of Tumebacillus sp. Strain BK434, Isolated from the Roots of Eastern Cottonwood

A Gram-positive bacterium was isolated from the root of an eastern cottonwood tree (Populus deltoides) in Georgia and identified as a Tumebacillus species with 99% 16S rRNA nucleotide identity to Tumebacillus avium. The genome is 4.6 Mbp and encodes 4,072 proteins and 251 RNAs.

A Gram-positive bacterium was isolated from the root of an eastern cottonwood tree (Populus deltoides) in Georgia and identified as a Tumebacillus species with 99% 16S rRNA nucleotide identity to Tumebacillus avium. The genome is 4.6 Mbp and encodes 4,072 proteins and 251 RNAs.