Parvimonas parva sp. nov., derived from a human genito-urinary lesion

A strain of obligately anaerobically growing Gram-positive cocci was isolated from a human genito-urinary sample and characterized by a polyphasic approach. Analyses of 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences of this strain S3374^T indicated that it belonged to the genus Parvimonas. Overall genome relatedness index calculations confirmed it to be phylogenetically distinct from Parvimonas micra (NCTC 11808^T) as its most closely related species with standing in nomenclature, with average nucleotide identity and genome-to-genome distance values of 85.8 and 30.2 %, respectively. Biochemically, strain S3374^T was strongly proteolytic and can be differentiated from P. micra (DSM 20468^T) by absence of phosphatase activity. The DNA G+C content of strain S3374^T was 28.6 mol%. Based on the phenotypical, biochemical and genetic findings, strain S3374^T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Parvimonas, for which the name Parvimonas parva sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S3374^T (=DSM 110786^T=CCOS 1934^T=CCUG 74294^T). This description adds strain S3374^T as a second species to the genus Parvimonas which has so far been monotypic. While the type strain of this genus, P. micra, has a long standing in nomenclature and its role in human health and disease has been studied to some extent, this description of the proposed novel species represented by strain S3374^T will allow microbiologists worldwide to identify isolates of P. parva sp. nov., a prerequisite for further investigation of its relevance in the clinical context and beyond.