DESCRIPTION OF HUMAN-DERIVED CENTERS-FOR-DISEASE-CONTROL CORYNEFORM GROUP-2 BACTERIA AS ACTINOMYCES-BERNARDIAE SP-NOV

Biochemical, chemotaxonomic, and molecular methods were used to establ ish the precise taxonomic position of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) coryneform group 2 bacteria. The results of a comparative 16S rR NA sequence analysis demonstrated that the CDC coryneform group 2 bact eria constitute a distinct species within the genus Actinomyces. Actin omyces pyogenes was found to be the closest genealogical relative of t he CDC coryneform group 2 bacteria, although these taxa were readily d istinguished from each other and other Actinomyces spp. by using pheno typic criteria. On the basis of our findings we propose the name Actin omyces bernardine sp. nov. for the CDC coryneform group 2 bacteria. Th e type strain is DSM 9152 (CCUG 33419).