BMC Evolutionary Biology (Apr 2007)

The taxonomy of <it>Enterobacter sakazakii</it>: proposal of a new genus <it>Cronobacter </it>gen. nov. and descriptions of <it>Cronobacter sakazakii </it>comb. nov. <it>Cronobacter sakazakii </it>subsp. <it>sakazakii</it>, comb. nov., <it>Cronobacter sakazakii </it>subsp. <it>malonaticus </it>subsp. nov., <it>Cronobacter turicensis </it>sp. nov., <it>Cronobacter muytjensii </it>sp. nov., <it>Cronobacter dublinensis </it>sp. nov. and <it>Cronobacter </it>genomospecies 1

  • Marugg John,
  • Cleenwerck Ilse,
  • Bidlas Eva,
  • Mullane Niall,
  • Lehner Angelika,
  • Iversen Carol,
  • Fanning Séamus,
  • Stephan Roger,
  • Joosten Han

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-7-64
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
p. 64

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Enterobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis, bacteraemia, meningitis and brain abscess/lesions. When the species was defined in 1980, 15 biogroups were described and it was suggested that these could represent multiple species. In this study the taxonomic relationship of strains described as E. sakazakii was further investigated. Results Strains identified as E. sakazakii were divided into separate groups on the basis of f-AFLP fingerprints, ribopatterns and full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences. DNA-DNA hybridizations revealed five genomospecies. The phenotypic profiles of the genomospecies were determined and biochemical markers identified. Conclusion This study clarifies the taxonomy of E. sakazakii and proposes a reclassification of these organisms.