Corynebacterium pelargi sp. nov., isolated from the trachea of white stork nestlings

A Gram-stain-positive, pleomorphic, oxidase-negative, non-motile isolate from the trachea of a white stork from Poland, designated strain 136/3(T), was subjected to a comprehensive taxonomic investigation. A comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed highest similarities to Corynebacterium mustelae , Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis , Corynebacterium vitaeruminis and Corynebacterium ulcerans (96.0-96.3%). The quinone system consisted of major amounts of MK-8(H2), minor amounts of MK-9(H2) and traces of MK-8 and MK-9. The polar lipid profile of strain 136/3(T) contained phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol-mannoside as major lipids and phosphatidylglycerol and an acidic glycolipid in moderate amounts. In addition small amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, a phospholipid, an aminolipid and two lipids of unknown group affiliation were found. The polyamine pattern was composed of the major components spermidine and spermine. Putrescine, 1,3-diaminopropane, cadaverine, sym-homospermidine and tyramine were found in minor or trace amounts. The diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. In the fatty acid profile straight-chain, saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids predominated (C(18 : 1)ω9c, C(16 : 1)ω7c, C16 : 0, C(18  : 0)). Corynemycolic acids were detected. Physiological traits as well as unique traits of the polar lipid profile and the fatty acid pattern distinguished strain 136/3(T) from the most closely related species. All these results indicate that strain 136/3(T) represents a novel species of the genus Corynebacterium for which we propose the name Corynebacterium pelargi sp. nov. The type strain is 136/3(T) ( =CIP 110778(T) =CCM 8517(T) =LMG 28174(T)).