Enterococcus hermanniensis sp. nov., from modified-atmosphere-packaged broiler meat and canine tonsils

Abstract

Isolates 302, 334, 356, 377 and 379, detected in modified-atmosphere-packaged broiler meat, together with strains LMG 12317 T and LMG 13617, detected in dog tonsils, were analysed in a polyphasic taxonomy study, including numerical analysis of ribopatterns and whole-cell protein patterns, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and determination of some phenotypic properties. The results indicated that these isolates represent a novel species in the genus Enterococcus. The isolates showed classical phenotypic reactions for the genus Enterococcus with the exception of not possessing the Lancefield group D antigen. Isolates 334, LMG 12317 T and LMG 13617 showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (98?3-99?0 %) to the Enterococcus pallens type strain. In the distance matrix tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the three isolates were located in the Enterococcus avium group with E. pallens as their closest phylogenetic neighbour. Numerical analyses of whole-cell protein patterns and HindIII/EcoRI ribotypes placed all seven isolates together in a single cluster separated from the E. avium group reference strains. The DNA-DNA hybridization level between strains 334 and LMG 12317 T was 93?5 %, confirming that they represent the same species. Low hybridization levels (12-30 %) were, by contrast, obtained with the E. pallens and Enterococcus raffinosus type strains. The name Enterococcus hermanniensis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain LMG 12317 T (=CCUG 48100 T ) as the type strain.Phylogenetically, the genus Enterococcus belongs to the clostridial branch of the Gram-positive bacteria. It was not officially recognized as a separate genus until 1984, when [Streptococcus] faecalis and [Streptococcus] faecium were reclassified as Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, respectively (Schleifer & Kilpper-Bälz, 1984). Since then, the number of enterococcal species described has increased, not only by the species transferred from the group D Streptococcus, but also by the description of several novel species. At the time of writing, over 20 species are classified as enterococci. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, four phylogenetic groups (E. faecium, Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus gallinarum and Enterococcus cecorum species groups) have been described (Williams et al., 1991).During a study of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from the spoilage population in modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP), marinated, broiler legs, several unidentified LAB isolates were detected (Björkroth et al., 2004). Five isolates (302, 334, 356, 377 and 379) originating from fresh packages showed HindIII ribopatterns resembling the patterns of some known enterococci. The patterns of these five isolates were designated types UIVa and UIVb by Björkroth et al. (2004). When these isolates were initially studied by means of whole-cell protein analysis, they were found to possess similar patterns to two isolates (LMG 12317 T and LMG 13617) originating from canine tonsils. The present polyphasic taxonomic study, i...

Lactobacillus oligofermentans sp. nov., Associated with Spoilage of Modified-Atmosphere-Packaged Poultry Products

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Role of Broiler Carcasses and Processing Plant Air in Contamination of Modified-Atmosphere-Packaged Broiler Products with Psychrotrophic Lactic Acid Bacteria

“…The isolates are identified based on the locations of type and reference strains within the clusters. The reliability of the clusters for distinguishing between different species has been evaluated in several polyphasic taxonomy studies of LAB (8,(18)(19)(20)(21).…”

“…The HindIII ribopatterns were compared to the corresponding patterns in the previously established LAB database of the Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. This database comprises patterns of all relevant food-associated LAB in the genera Aerococcus, Carnobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, and Weissella (3,4,5,6,7,9,19,21,26,31). It utilizes 16 and 23S rRNA gene HindIII RFLP patterns of more than 300 type and reference strains as operational taxonomic units in numerical analyses.…”

Phylogeny and Identification of Enterococci by atpA Gene Sequence Analysis

“…The classification of the enterococci underwent considerable changes in recent years. Since the recognition of Enterococcus as a separate genus (31), several new species, e.g., Enterococcus canis (4), E. hermanniensis (21), and E. phoeniculicola (22), have been described as a result of improvements of the methods for their classification. In addition, E. porcinus and E. seriolicida were reclassified as E. villorum (4) and Lactococcus garvieae (35), respectively.…”