Reassessment of the phylogenetic relationships of Thiomonas cuprina

The published sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of Thiomonas cuprina strain Ho5 (=DSM 5495(T)) (GenBank accession no. U67162) was found to be erroneous. The 16S rRNA genes from the type strain held by the DSMZ since 1990 (DSM 5495(T) =NBRC 102145(T)) and strain Ho5 maintained frozen in the Universitat Regensburg for 23 years (=NBRC 102094) were sequenced and found to be identical, but to show no significant similarity to the U67162 sequence. This also casts some doubt on the previously published 5S and 23S rRNA gene sequences (GenBank accession nos U67171 and X75567). The correct 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 99.8 % identity to those from Thiomonas delicata NBRC 14566(T) and 'Thiomonas arsenivorans' DSM 16361. The properties of these three species are re-evaluated, and emended descriptions are provided for the genus Thiomonas and the species Thiomonas cuprina.