Fructobacillus apis sp. nov., isolated from the gut of honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Abstract

A Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative, fructose-dependent strain (W13^T) was isolated from the gut of honeybee (Apis mellifera). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that strain W13^T represents a distinct line of descent within the genus Fructobacillus, with the closest neighbours being Fructobacillus broussonetiae BCRC 81240^T (98.9 % sequence similarity) and Fructobacillus durionis DSM 19113^T (96.8 % sequence similarity). Comparative sequencing of the additional phylogenetic markers rpoC and recA confirmed the 16S rRNA gene tree topology. The complete genome of strain W13^T consisted of 1 292 712 bp with a G+C content of 48.3 mol%. Pairwise comparisons of the average nucleotide identity values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between the genomes of W13^T and its close phylogenetic neighbours, F. broussonetiae BCRC 81240^T and F. durionis DSM 19113^T, resulted in 76.2-84.1 % and 20.2-27.6 %, respectively. The main cellular fatty acids of strain W13^T were C_{16 : 0}, C_{18 : 1} ω9c and C_{18 : 1} ω7c. Thus, we propose a novel species within the genus Fructobacillus, with the name Fructobacillus apis sp. nov. and the type strain is W13^T (= NBRC 115637^T=BCRC 81365^T).

Keywords: Fructobacillus; Taiwan; honeybee; lactic acid bacteria.