Judicial Opinions 133 and 134.

Area of Science:

• Bacteriology
• Microbial Taxonomy
• Nomenclature

Background:

• The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) governs bacterial naming conventions.
• Homonyms and heterotypic synonyms present complex challenges in microbial taxonomy.
• Previous taxonomic decisions require clarification regarding specific bacterial names.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the definition of 'homonym' within the ICNP.
• To resolve illegitimate names arising from homonymy and synonymy.
• To provide stability for the names Methylacidiphilaceae, Methylacidiphilales, Yokenella, and Providencia.

Main Methods:

• Judicial Commission review of nomenclature rules and case precedents.
• Analysis of homotypic and heterotypic synonymy.
• Evaluation of genus and epithet priority based on the ICNP.

Main Results:

• The names Methylacidiphilum caldifontis, Methylacidiphilum, Methylacidiphilaceae, and Methylacidiphilales (Awala et al. 2023) were deemed illegitimate.
• Methylacidiphilaceae and Methylacidiphilales were conserved with Methylacidiphilum Ratnadevi et al. 2023 as the type genus.
• Yokenella regensburgei was conserved over Koserella trabulsii, and Providencia alcalifaciens epithet was conserved over Proteus inconstans.

Conclusions:

• The Judicial Commission's decisions ensure taxonomic clarity and stability for the studied bacterial taxa.
• The rulings reinforce the application of the ICNP in resolving complex nomenclature issues.
• Accurate bacterial nomenclature is crucial for consistent scientific communication and research.