A novel, Gram-stain-positive, catalase-positive, non-spore-forming, short rod-shaped strain (VUL4_3T) was isolated from rectal swabs of Old World vultures (Aegypius monachus) from the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau, China. Based on the results of biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison, strain VUL4_3T was determined to be a member of the genus Actinomyces that is closely related to the type strains of Actinomyces liubingyangii (97.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and Actinomyces marimammalium (96.5 %). Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C, pH 6-7 and with 1 % (w/v) NaCl. The typical major cellular fatty acids of strain VUL4_3T were C18 : 1ω9c, C16 : 0 and C18 : 0. The VUL4_3T genome contained 2 207 832 bp with an average G+C content of 51.9 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain VUL4_3T and the above two species of the genus Actinomyces showed less than 32 % DNA-DNA relatedness, supporting a novel species status of strain VUL4_3T. Based on the phenotypic data and phylogenetic inference, the novel species Actinomycestangfeifanii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is VUL4_3T (=CGMCC 4.7369T=DSM 103436T).
Keywords: Actinomyces tangfeifanii; Tibet-Qinghai Plateau; vulture.