Bifidobacterium myosotis sp nov., Bifidobacterium tissieri sp nov and Bifidobacterium hapali sp nov., isolated from faeces of baby common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus L.)

In a previous study on bifidobacterial distribution in New World monkeys, six strains belonging to the Bifidobacteriaceae were isolated from faecal samples of baby common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus L.). All the isolates were Gram-positive-staining, anaerobic, asporogenous and fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase-positive. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed relatively low levels of similarity (maximum identity 96 %) to members of the genus Bifidobacterium, and placed the isolates in three independent clusters: strains of cluster I (MRM_5.9(T) and MRM_5.10) and cluster III (MRM_5.18(T) and MRM_9.02) respectively showed 96.4 and 96.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Bifidobacterium callitrichos DSM 239731, while strains of cluster II (MRM_8.14(T) and MRM_9.14) showed 95.4 % similarity to Bifidobacterium stellenboschense DSM 23968(T). Phylogenetic analysis of partial hsp60 and c/pC gene sequences supported an independent phylogenetic position of each cluster from each other and from the related type strains B. callitrichos DSM 23973(T) and B. stellenboschense DSM 23968(T). Clusters I, II and III respectively showed DNA G + C contents of 64.9-65.1, 56.4-56.7 and 63.1-63.7 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids of MRM_5.9(T) were C-14 : 0 C-16 : 0 and C-18 : 1 omega 9c dimethylacetal, while C16 0 was prominent in strains MRM_5.18(T) and MRM_8.14(T), followed by C-18 (:) (1)omega 9c and C-14 (:) (0). Biochemical profiles and growth parameters were recorded for all the isolates. Based on the data provided, the clusters represent three novel species, for which the names Bifidobacterium myosotis sp. nov. (type strain MRM_5.9(T)=DSM 100196(T)=JCM 307961), Bifidobacterium hapali sp. nov. (type strain MRM_8.14(T)=DSM 100202(T)=JCM 30799(T)) and Bifidobacterium tissieri sp. nov. (type strain MRM_5.18(T)=DSM 100201(T)=JCM 30798(T)) are proposed.