A Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium, designated as strain BML3T, was isolated from a sputum sample of a hospital patient in Japan. Strain BML3T grew at temperatures from 4 to 40 °C, in 1.0-7.0 % (w/v) NaCl and at pH 6.0-9.0. Results of phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of housekeeping genes, including the 16S rRNA gene and rpoB, rpoD and gyrB, showed that strain BML3T was part of the Pseudomonas putida group and located close to Pseudomonas asiatica, Pseudomonas monteiliiand P. putida . Whole-genome comparisons, using average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization, confirmed strain BML3T to be a distinct species among the P. putida group. Phenotypic characterization tests demonstrated that the utilization of phenylmercuric acetate could distinguish this strain from other closed species of the P. putida group. Based on genetic and phenotypic evidence, strain BML3T should be classified as a novel species, for which the name Pseudomonas juntendi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BML3T (=DSM 109244T,=JCM 33395T), with a DNA G+C content of 62.66 mol %.
Keywords: Pseudomonas; human pathogen.