Apilactobacillus apisilvae sp. nov., Nicolia spurrieriana gen. nov. sp. nov., Bombilactobacillus folatiphilus sp. nov. and Bombilactobacillus thymidiniphilus sp. nov., four new lactic acid bacterial isolates from stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria and Austroplebeia australis

Abstract

Four strains, SG5_A10^T, SGEP1_A5^T, SG4_D2^T, and SG4_A1^T, were isolated from the honey or homogenate of Australian stingless bee species Tetragonula carbonaria and Austroplebeia australis. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, core gene phylogenetics, whole genome analyses such as determination of amino acid identity (AAI), cAAI of conserved genes, average nucleotide identity (ANI), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), chemotaxonomic analyses, and the novel isolation sources and unique geography, we propose three new species and one genus with the names Apilactobacillus apisilvae sp. nov. (SG5_A10^T = LMG 32133^T = NBRC 114991^T), Bombilactobacillus thymidiniphilus sp. nov. (SG4_A1^T = LMG 32125^T = NBRC 114984^T), Bombilactobacillus folatiphilus sp. nov. (SG4_D2^T = LMG 32126^T = NBRC 115004^T) and Nicolia spurrieriana sp. nov. (SGEP1_A5^T = LMG 32134^T = NBRC 114992^T). Three out of the four strains were found to be fructophilic, where SG5_A10^T and SGEP1_A5^T belong to obligately fructophilic lactic acid bacteria, and SG4_D2^T representing a new type denoted here as kinetically fructophilic. This study represents the first published lactic acid bacterial species associated with the unique niche of Australian stingless bees.

Keywords: Apilactobacillus; Austroplebeia australis; Bombilactobacillus; FLAB; Fructobacillus; LAB; Tetragonula carbonaria; fructophilic lactic acid bacteria; stingless bees; sugarbag bees.