Staphylococcus petrasii subsp. pragensis subsp. nov., occurring in human clinical material.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacterial Taxonomy
• Genomics

Background:

• Coagulase-negative staphylococci are a diverse group with complex taxonomy.
• Accurate classification of bacterial species and subspecies is crucial for understanding their ecological roles and potential impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the taxonomic position of seven strains tentatively identified as Staphylococcus petrasii.
• To determine if these strains represent a distinct taxonomic unit within the Staphylococcus genus.

Main Methods:

• Repetitive sequence-based PCR fingerprinting using the (GTG)5 primer.
• Phylogenetic analysis utilizing multiple housekeeping gene sequences (16S rRNA, hsp60, rpoB, dnaJ, gap, tuf).
• Polyphasic taxonomy including automated ribotyping, MALDI-TOF MS, fatty acid methyl ester analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization, and biotyping.

Main Results:

• All seven strains formed a genetically homogeneous group distinct from other Staphylococcus species.
• Phylogenetic analyses indicated the strains are closely related to Staphylococcus petrasii but separate from known subspecies.
• Comprehensive polyphasic analyses confirmed the group represents a novel subspecies.

Conclusions:

• The study proposes a new subspecies, Staphylococcus petrasii subsp. pragensis subsp. nov.
• This finding refines the classification within the Staphylococcus petrasii complex.
• The type strain for this novel subspecies is NRL/St 12/356(T) (CCM 8529(T) = LMG 28327(T)).