Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Identification of Rare Bacterial Pathogens by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS
Published on: July 11, 2016
Description of Tropicibacter mediterraneus sp. nov. and Tropicibacter litoreus sp. nov
Teresa Lucena1, María A Ruvira, M Carmen Macián
1Colección Española de Cultivos Tipo CECT and Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
Abstract:
Four strains (M15∅_3, M17(T), M49 and R37(T)) were isolated from Mediterranean seawater at Malvarrosa beach, Valencia, Spain. Together with an older preserved isolate (strain 2OM6) from cultured oysters at Vinaroz, Castellón, Spain, the strains were thoroughly characterized in a polyphasic study and were placed phylogenetically within the Roseobacter clade in the family Rhodobacteraceae. Highest 16S rRNA sequence similarities of the five strains to the types of any established species corresponded to Tropicibacter multivorans (95.8-96.4%), Phaeobacter inhibens (95.9-96.3%) and Phaeobacter gallaeciensis (95.9-96.2%). On the other hand, whole genome (ANI) and protein fingerprinting (MALDI-TOF) data proved: (i) non clonality among the strains, and (ii) the existence of two genospecies, one consisting of strains M15∅_3, M17(T), M49 and 2OM6 and another one consisting of strain R37(T). Phenotypic traits determined allow differentiating both genospecies from each other and from closely related taxa. In view of all data collected we propose to accommodate these isolates in two species as members of the genus Tropicibacter, Tropicibacter mediterraneus sp. nov. (type strain M17(T)=CECT 7615(T)=KCTC 23058(T)) and Tropicibacter litoreus sp. nov. (type strain R37(T)=CECT 7639(T)=KCTC 23353(T)).
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria
Hyperthermophilic Bacteria
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology

