International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol 50, 1591-1594, Copyright © 2000 by Society for General Microbiology

Anaerovorax odorimutans gen. nov., sp. nov., a putrescine-fermenting, strictly anaerobic bacterium

C Matthies, S Evers, W Ludwig and B Schink
Lehrstuhl fur Okologische Mikrobiologie, BITOK, Universitat Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany

The strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive, non-spore-forming bacterium strain NorPut1(T) ferments putrescine to acetate, butyrate, molecular hydrogen and ammonia. It also utilizes 4-aminobutyrate and 4-hydroxybutyrate as growth substrates. Comparative 16S rDNA sequence analysis confirmed a phylogenetic affiliation of this strain to the phylum of Gram-positive bacteria with low DNA G+C content. Together with its closest relative, 'Clostridium aminobutyricum' (DSM 2634), and several Eubacterium species, strain NorPut1(T) represents a well-defined monophyletic group. Moderate overall 16S rRNA sequence similarities (> 91%) were found for the NorPut1(T)/'Clostridium aminobutyricum' pair and several Eubacterium species. The type species, Eubacterium limosum, is not a member of the group and, together with Eubacterium barkeri and Pseudoramibacter alactolyticus, represents a distant phylogentic cluster. Therefore, a new genus, Anaerovorax, is proposed as harbouring strain NorPut1(T) (=DSM 5092(T)), which is described as a new species, i.e. Anaerovorax odorimutans.