Gordonibacter faecihominis sp. nov., isolated from human faeces

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Human Microbiome Research

Background:

• Actinobacteria play diverse roles in human health and metabolism.
• The human gut microbiome harbors numerous uncharacterized bacterial species.
• Enzymatic modification of plant-derived compounds like catechins is a key metabolic function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize novel bacteria from human feces with specific metabolic capabilities.
• To identify bacteria capable of dehydroxylating (+)-catechin derivatives.
• To phylogenetically and chemotaxonomically classify a newly isolated strain.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of strictly anaerobic bacteria from human fecal samples.
• Phenotypic characterization including Gram staining, motility, and morphology.
• Chemotaxonomic analysis: fatty acid profiling, menaquinone analysis, and polar lipid determination.
• Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
• DNA G+C content determination.

Main Results:

• A novel strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive coccobacillus, strain CAT-2(T), was isolated.
• Strain CAT-2(T) demonstrated the ability to dehydroxylate (+)-catechin derivatives.
• Chemotaxonomic data revealed major fatty acids and menaquinones (MK-6, MMK-6, DMMK-6).
• Phylogenetic analysis placed strain CAT-2(T) within the genus Gordonibacter, with 97.3% 16S rRNA gene similarity to Gordonibacter pamelaeae.
• DNA G+C content was determined to be 68.4 mol%.

Conclusions:

• Strain CAT-2(T) represents a novel species of the genus Gordonibacter.
• The proposed name for this new species is Gordonibacter faecihominis sp. nov.
• Gordonibacter faecihominis contributes to the metabolic diversity of the human gut microbiome, particularly in processing plant-derived polyphenols.