Leuconostoc palmae sp. nov., a novel lactic acid bacterium isolated from palm wine

A novel lactic acid bacterium, strain TMW 2.694(T), was isolated among other lactic acid bacteria from palm wine, an alcoholic beverage produced from the sap of various palm tree species. Strain TMW 2.694(T) is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative, non-spore-forming coccus, occurring in long chains. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing positioned strain TMW 2.694(T) in a distinct line of descent within the genus Leuconostoc, with the closest neighbours being Leuconostoc lactis JCM 6123(T) (98.7 % sequence similarity) and Leuconostoc citreum DSM 5577(T) (98.8 % sequence similarity). Comparative sequencing of the additional phylogenetic markers dnaK and recA confirmed the 16S rRNA gene tree topology. Genomic DNA-DNA similarities of strain TMW 2.694(T) to L. lactis DSM 20202(T) and L. citreum DSM 5577(T) were 45.1 and 17.7 %, respectively. The DNA G+C content is 36.4 mol%. Thus, we propose a novel species within the genus Leuconostoc, with the name Leuconostoc palmae sp. nov. and the type strain TMW 2.694(T) (=DSM 21144(T) =LMG 24510(T)).