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Staphylococcus succinus sp. nov., isolated from Dominican amber
L H Lambert1, T Cox, K Mitchell
1XOMA Corporation, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA.
International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology
|September 10, 1998
Summary
Two novel bacterial species, Staphylococcus succinus, were discovered in ancient Dominican amber. These bacteria possess unique characteristics differentiating them from known staphylococci, suggesting ancient microbial diversity.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Paleontology
- Bacterial Taxonomy
Background:
- Two bacterial isolates, AMG-D1T and AMG-D2, were obtained from 25-35-million-year-old Dominican amber.
- These isolates exhibited biochemical similarities to Staphylococcus xylosus but possessed distinct physiological traits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize and classify two novel bacterial isolates recovered from ancient amber.
- To determine the phylogenetic and taxonomic position of these isolates within the bacterial domain.
Main Methods:
- Biochemical profiling and physiological characterization.
- Fatty acid analysis and comparison with extensive databases.
- Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
- DNA-DNA hybridization studies.
Main Results:
- The isolates contained tuberculostearic acid and meso-diaminopimelic acid, characteristic of G+C-rich coryneform bacteria, not L-lysine found in staphylococci.
- Phylogenetic analysis placed the isolates closest to novobiocin-resistant staphylococci, including S. equorum and S. xylosus.
- DNA-DNA hybridization revealed low similarity values (<38%) with related staphylococcal species, confirming their distinctiveness.
Conclusions:
- The isolates AMG-D1T and AMG-D2 represent a novel species, Staphylococcus succinus sp. nov.
- The type strain of this new species is AMG-D1 (ATCC 700337).
- This discovery highlights the potential for isolating viable microorganisms from ancient geological samples.