An evaluation of Thiomicrospira, Hydrogenovibrio and Thioalkalimicrobium: Reclassification of four species of Thiomicrospira to each Thiomicrorhabdus gen. nov. and Hydrogenovibrio, and reclassification of all four species of Thioalkalimicrobium to Thiomicrospira

Rich Boden*, Kathleen M. Scott, John Williams, Sydney Russel, Kirsten Antonen, Alex W. Rae, Lee P. Hutt

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Thiomicrospira (Tms) species are small sulfur-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic members of the Gammaproteobacteria. Whilst the type species Tms. pelophila and closely related Tms. thyasirae exhibit canonical spiral morphology under sub-optimal growth conditions, most species are vibrios or rods. The 16S rRNA gene diversity is vast, with identities as low as 91.6% for Tms. pelophila versus Tms. frisia, for example. Thiomicrospira was examined with closely related genera Hydrogenovibrio and Thioalkalimicrobium and, to rationalize organisms on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, physiology and morphology, we reclassify Tms. kuenenii, Tms. crunogena, Tms. thermophila and Tms. halophila to Hydrogenovibrio kuenenii comb. nov., H. crunogenus corrig. comb. nov., H. thermophilus corrig. comb. nov. and H. halophilus corrig. comb. nov. We reclassify Tms. frisia, Tms. arctica, Tms. psychrophila and Tms. chilensis to Thiomicrorhabdus (Tmr) gen. nov., as Tmr. frisia comb. nov., Tmr. arctica comb. nov., Tmr. psychrophila comb. nov. and Tmr. chilensis comb. nov. – the type species of Thiomicrorhabdus is Tmr. frisia. We demonstrate that Thioalkalimicrobium species fall within the genus Thiomicrospira sensu stricto, thus reclassifying them as Tms. aerophila corrig. comb. nov., Tms. microaerophila corrig. comb. nov., Tms. cyclica corrig. comb. nov. and Tms. sibirica corrig. comb. nov. We provide emended descriptions of the genera Thiomicrospira and Hydrogenovibrio and of Tms. thyasirae.

Original languageEnglish
Article number001855
Pages (from-to)1140-1151
Number of pages12
JournalInternational Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Volume67
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Keywords

  • Chemolithoautotroph
  • Hydrogenovibrio
  • Thioalkalimicrobium
  • Thiomicrorhabdus
  • Thiomicrospira
  • Thiosulfate

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An evaluation of Thiomicrospira, Hydrogenovibrio and Thioalkalimicrobium: Reclassification of four species of Thiomicrospira to each Thiomicrorhabdus gen. nov. and Hydrogenovibrio, and reclassification of all four species of Thioalkalimicrobium to Thiomicrospira'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this