Listeria thailandensis sp. nov.

Alexandre Leclercq (1) , Alexandra Moura (1) , Guillaume Vales (1) , Nathalie Tessaud-Rita (1) , Christine Aguilhon (2) , Marc Lecuit (3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7)

1 CC-OMS / WHO-CC - Centre collaborateur de l'OMS Listeria / WHO Collaborating Centre Listeria
2 BIOMERIEUX
3 Biologie des Infections - Biology of Infection
4 Service des Maladies infectieuses et tropicales [CHU Necker]
5 UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5
6 CHU Necker - Enfants Malades [AP-HP]
7 Imagine - U1163 - Imagine - Institut des maladies génétiques (IHU)

During a screening of Listeria species in food samples in Thailand, a Listeria-like bacterium was recovered from fried chicken and could not be assigned to any known species. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and on 243 Listeria core genes placed the novel taxon within the Listeria aquatica, Listeria floridensis, Listeria fleishmannii and Listeria costaricensis clade (Listeria sensu lato), with highest similarity to L. floridensis (98.9 %) and L. costaricensis (98.8 %). Whole-genome sequence analyses based on the average nucleotide blast identity (ANI<86 %), the pairwise amino acid identity (AAI>64 %) and on the percentage of conserved proteins (POCP>77 %) with currently known Listeria species confirmed that the strain constituted a new taxon within the genus Listeria. At the phenotypical level, it differs from other Listeria species by the production of acid from d-tagatose and inositol. The name Listeria thailandensis sp. nov. is proposed for the novel species, and is represented by the type strain CLIP 2015/00305T (=CIP 111635T=DSM 107638T).

Keywords: Listeria; Thailand; chicken; new taxa; whole genome sequencing; ANI; AAI; POCP

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Infectious diseases; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Emerging diseases; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Bacteriology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology

Alexandre Leclercq, Alexandra Moura, Guillaume Vales, Nathalie Tessaud-Rita, Christine Aguilhon, et al.. Listeria thailandensis sp. nov.. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2019, 69 (1), pp.74-81. ⟨10.1099/ijsem.0.003097⟩. ⟨pasteur-02319983⟩