Genome-based reclassification of Bacillus acidicola, Bacillus pervagus and the genera Heyndrickxia, Margalitia and Weizmannia

Abstract

In the present study, the taxonomic positions of Bacillus acidicola, Bacillus pervagus and members of the genera Heyndrickxia, Margalitia and Weizmannia were evaluated. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between Bacillus acidicola DSM 14745^T, Bacillus pervagus DSM 23947^T and members of the genera Heyndrickxia and Margalitia were above the cut-off level (>95 %) for genus delineation. Amino acid identity (AAI) values and the results of phylogenomic analysis suggested that B. acidicola and the members of the genera Heyndrickxia, Margalitia and Weizmannia belong to the same genus. Furthermore, the AAI and phylogenomic results also differentiate B. pervagus from B. acidicola and the members of the genera Heyndrickxia, Margalitia and Weizmannia. Based on the results, we propose to transfer Bacillus acidicola, Margalitia and Weizmannia to the genus Heyndrickxia. We also propose the reclassification of B. pervagus into a new genus Oikeobacillus gen. nov., with the type species Oikeobacillus pervagus comb. nov.

Keywords: Bacillus acidicola; Bacillus pervagus; Oikeobacillus pervagus gen. nov., comb. nov; re-classification.