Phenotypic characterization, cellular fatty acid composition, and DNA relatedness of aerococci and comparison to related genera

Abstract

Aerococci can be misidentified as streptococci, enterococci, pediococci, lactococci, or leuconostocs. To distinguish the genus and determine if another species is needed in the present taxon, we analyzed 37 aerococci for cellular fatty acids and compared them with 377 strains of gram-positive cocci, including the species type strains from each of the related genera. The cellular fatty acid profile of aerococci was distinguishable from other genera. Two relatively novel fatty acids found in the aerococci were identified as C16:1 omega 9c and C16:1 omega 9t. Eleven strains of aerococci (including a strain originally identified as "Gaffkya" species) were chosen for DNA-DNA reassociation studies with the type strain Aerococcus viridans ATCC 11563; DNAs from eight of these strains were more than 75% related to the type strain and had 1 to 4% divergence in related sequences. The remaining three strains were 60 to 70% related to the type strain, had 7 to 11.5% divergence, and may represent a second species, Aerococcus genospecies 2. beta-Glucuronidase, alpha-galactosidase, and beta-galactosidase were useful in characterizing the aerococci.