Arcanobacterium bialowiezense sp nov and Arcanobacterium bonasi sp nov., isolated from the prepuce of European bison bulls (Bison bonasus) suffering from balanoposthitis, and emended description of the genus Arcanobacterium Collins et al. 1983

A taxonomic study was performed on 13 bacterial strains isolated from preputial swabs of European bison (Bison bonasus) bulls suffering from balanoposthitis. The isolates were Gram-positive, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic, diphtheroid-shaped cells. Based on biochemical profiles and BOX-PCR-generated genomic fingerprints, the isolates were grouped into two clusters represented by four and nine strains, respectively. Strains 1 (W3/01)(T) and 2(W106/04)(T), selected as representatives of the two clusters, shared 97-2% 16Sr RNA gene sequence similarity. The highest gene sequence similarities found (95.5-96.4%) were to Arcanobacterium pyogenes DSM 20630(T) and Arcanobacterium bernardiae DSM 9152(T), demonstrating that the novel strains are members of the genus Arcanobacterium, but are not members of a recognized species. The polar lipid profiles of the two novel strains displayed the major characteristics also found in A. pyogenes DSM 20630(T) and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum DSM 20595(T). Detection of a quinone system with MIK-10(H-4) as the predominant compound confirmed phylogenetic relatedness of the novel strains to A. pyogenes and separated them from the type species of the genus, A. haemolyticum, which contains MK-9(H-4) as the predominant quinone. Results from DNA-DNA hybridizations clearly demonstrated that strains 1 (W3/01)(T) and 2(W106/04)(T) represent separate species. Based on these data, two novel species of the genus Arcanobacterium are described, for which the names Arcanobacterium bialowiezense sp. nov. [type strain 1 (W3/01)(T) =DSM 17162(T) =NCTC 13354(T)] and Arcanobacterium bonasi sp. nov. [type strain 2(W106/04)(T) =DSM 17163(T) =NCTC 13355(T)] are proposed.