Clostridium hiranonis sp nov., a human intestinal bacterium with bile acid7 alpha-dehydroxylating activity

The Clostridium-like organisms TO-931(T) and HD-17, isolated from human fae ces, have high levels of bile acid 7 alpha -dehydroxylating activity. Seque ncing of their 16S rDNA demonstrated that they belong to cluster XI of the genus Clostridium and that they represent a new and distinct line of descen t. Clostridium bifermentans and Clostridium sordellii in cluster XI also po ssess bile acid 7 alpha -dehydroxylating activity. DNA-DNA hybridization ex periments with the isolates, TO-931(T) and HD-17, and C. bifermentans and C . sordellii revealed that the isolates are a single species distinct from C . bifermentans and C. sordellii. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, usi ng 16S rDNA sequences, and DNA-DNA hybridization analysis, it is concluded that strains TO-931T and HD-17 are members of a new species of the genus Cl ostridium, for which the name Clostridium hiranonis is proposed. The type s train is strain TO-931(T) (= JCM 10541(T) = DSM 13275(T)).