Akkermansia glycaniphila sp nov., an anaerobic mucin-degrading bacterium isolated from reticulated python faeces

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, strictly anaerobic, oval-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium (strain Pyt (T)) was isolated from reticulated python faeces. Strain Pyt(T) was capable of using mucin as sole carbon, energy and nitrogen source. Cells could grow singly, in pairs, and were also found to aggregate. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of filamentous structures connecting individual bacterial cells. Strain Pyt(T) could grow on a limited number of single sugars, including N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, glucose, lactose and galactose, but only when a plentiful protein source was provided. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed strain Pyt(T) to belong to the Verrucomicrobiae class I, family Akkermansiaceae, genus Akkermansia, with Akkermansia muciniphila Muc(T) as the closest relative (94.4% sequence similarity). DNA-DNA hybridization revealed low relatedness of 28.3% with A. muciniphila Muc(T). The G+C content of DNA from strain Pyt(T) was 58.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) of the genome of strain Pyt(T) compared to the genome of strain Muc(T) was 79.7 %. Chemotaxonomic data supported the affiliation of strain Pyt(T) to the genus Akkermansia. Based on phenotypic, phylogenetic and genetic characteristics, strain Pyt(T) represents a novel species of the genus Akkermansia, for which the name Akkermansia glycaniphila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Pyt(T) (=DSM 100705(T)=CIP 110913(T)).