Weissella ceti sp. nov., isolated from beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens)

Abstract

During an investigation into the microbiota of beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens), nine isolates were obtained from different organs of four animals. The isolates were Gram-positive-staining, catalase-negative, short rod-shaped or coccoid organisms. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences of these isolates allocated them to the genus Weissella, showing 96.3 % and 96.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Weissella viridescens NRIC 1536 T and Weissella minor NRIC 1625 T , respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, physiological and phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that the new isolates from whales represent a novel species of the genus Weissella, Weissella ceti sp. nov. The type strain of Weissella ceti is 1119-1A-09 T (5CECT 7719 T 5CCUG 59653 T ).Micro-organisms of the genus Weissella have been isolated from a wide variety of habitats such as soil, fresh vegetables and fermented foods or meat and meat products (Björkroth et al., 2002;Magnusson et al., 2002;De Bruyne et al., 2010;Padonou et al., 2010). In addition, some species have been isolated from human or animal sources. Thus, Weissella cibaria was isolated from human gall and faeces and Weissella confusa was isolated from faeces of children with bacteraemia (Green et al., 1990), from liver transplants (Green et al., 1991) and from the peritoneal fluid and abdominal wall of two patients (Riebel & Washington, 1990). In animals, W. confusa has been isolated from a primate (Cercopithecus mona) with a systemic infection (Vela et al., 2003b), from an autopsied dog and from the ear of a dog with otitis (Björkroth et al., 2002), and from intestines of farmed Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) (Cai et al., 1998;Rengpipat et al., 2008). W. cibaria and Weissella hellenica have been isolated from the livers of canaries and from the ears of dogs with otitis and from the intestinal contents of flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), respectively (Cai et al., 1998; Björkroth et al., 2002). Recently, members of the genus Weissella were isolated from diseased rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at a commercial fishery in China (Liu et al., 2009), although they were not identified to species level.Other species of the genus Weissella isolated from animals have not been formally described. In this article, we report the phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization of an unusual Weissella-like organism isolated from stranded beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens).During an investigation into the microbiota of beaked whales, nine unidentified Gram-positive-staining, rodshaped or coccoid organisms were recovered from muscle tissue (strains 1119-2B-09, 1121-2A-09 and 1122-2A-09), brain (1120-7A-09), kidney (1119-4A-09 and 1121-4A-09), lymph nodes (1121-8A-09), spleen (1119-1A-09 T and 1121-1A-09) of four different animals. None of these animals showed organic lesions associated with these unidentified bacteria after post-mortem studies (gross and histological examination). Strains were isolated on Columbia blood agar plates (bioMérieux) incubated for 24 h at 37 u C...

Genome Sequence of Weissella ceti NC36, an Emerging Pathogen of Farmed Rainbow Trout in the United States

“…The trout isolates also show >99% 16S sequence similarity to W. ceti sp. nov., which was recently isolated from beaked whales (9), and therefore, the whale and fish isolates may constitute a single species. The occurrence of this pathogen on three continents over a relatively short period (5 years) suggests that weissellosis is a rapidly emerging disease of farmed rainbow trout.…”

Diagnostic tools for rapid detection and quantification of Weissella ceti NC36 infections in rainbow trout

“…nov., isolated from stranded beaked whales (Vela et al . ). While these data suggested that the isolates may constitute a single species, further genomic and functional analyses (with additional W. ceti whale isolates) will be necessary to better understand the evolutionary relationships among these strains.…”

Why Are Weissella spp. Not Used as Commercial Starter Cultures for Food Fermentation?

“…Species of this branch harbor diverse habitats. W. viridescens and W. halotolerans have been isolated from meat products [20,24], W. minor from milking machine sludge [20], W. ceti from a beaked whale [17] and W. uvarum from wine grapes [25].…”