Bombella intestini gen. nov., sp. nov., an acetic acid bacterium isolated from bumble bee crop

In the frame of a bumble bee gut microbiota study, acetic acid bacteria (AAB) were isolated using a combination of direct isolation methods and enrichment procedures. MALDI-TOF MS profiling of the isolates and a comparison of these profiles with profiles of established AAB species identified most isolates as Asaia astilbis or as ‘ Commensalibacter intestini’ , except for two isolates (R-52486 and LMG 28161 ᵀ) that showed an identical profile. A nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain LMG 28161 ᵀ was determined and showed the highest pairwise similarity to Saccharibacter floricola S-877 ᵀ (96.5 %), which corresponded with genus level divergence in the family Acetobacteraceae . Isolate LMG 28161 ᵀ was subjected to whole-genome shotgun sequencing; a 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence as well as partial sequences of the housekeeping genes dnaK , groEL and rpoB were extracted for phylogenetic analyses. The obtained data confirmed that this isolate is best classified into a new genus in the family Acetobacteraceae . The DNA G+C content of strain LMG 28161 ᵀ was 54.9 mol%. The fatty acid compositions of isolates R-52486 and LMG 28161 ᵀ were similar to those of established AAB species [with C ₁₈ : ₁ω7 c (43.1 %) as the major component], but the amounts of fatty acids such as C ₁₉ : ₀ cyclo ω8 c , C ₁₄ : ₀ and C ₁₄ : ₀ 2-OH enabled to differentiate them. The major ubiquinone was Q-10. Both isolates could also be differentiated from the known genera of AAB by means of biochemical characteristics, such as their inability to oxidize ethanol to acetic acid, negligible acid production from melibiose, and notable acid production from d -fructose, sucrose and d -mannitol. In addition, they produced 2-keto- d -gluconate, but not 5-keto- d -gluconate from d -glucose. Therefore, the name Bombella intestini gen nov., sp. nov. is proposed for this new taxon, with LMG 28161 ᵀ (= DSM 28636 ᵀ = R-52487 ᵀ) as the type strain of the type species.