Arsenicicoccus cauae sp. nov., isolated from the blood of a pediatric gastroenteritis patient

A Gram-stain-positive coccus was isolated from the blood of a paediatric patient suffering from gastroenteritis. The taxonomic position of this catalase-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming facultative anaerobe designated as strain MKL-02(T) was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Colonies grown on tryptic soy agar with 10% sheep blood were circular, creamy yellow, and convex. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences revealed that this strain was most closely related to Arsenicicoccus bolidensis CCUG 47306(T) within the cluster of the genus Arsenicicoccus. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain MKL-02(T) and A. bolidensis DSM 15745(T), A. dermatophillus DSM 25571(T) and A. piscis DSM 22760(T) were 89.5 and 37.0%, 79.6 and 22.4%, and 75.9 and 21.0 %, respectively. The genomic size of strain MKL-02(T) was 3423 857 bp with a 72.7 mol% G+C content. Growth was observed at 10-45 degrees C (optimum, 37-40 degrees C) and pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), in the presence of 0-10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.5%). Cells of strain MKL-02(T) were non-motile cocci and 0.50-0.60 mu m long, as determined by transmission electron microscopy. The strain was catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. The major fatty acid type (>10 % of total) was C-15:0. The polar lipid profile consisted of two unidentified phospholipids, three unidentified lipids and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The strain contained MK-8 (H 4) as the predominant menaquinone. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic considerations, it is proposed that strain MKL-02(T) be classified as a new species, named Arsenicicoccus cauae sp. nov. The type strain is MKL-02(T) (=NCCP 16967(T)=JCM 34624(T)).