Johanna Björkroth

During our studies on spoilage microbiomes of modified atmosphere packaged broiler meat, we isolated three strains (PNs007 T , STAA11 T and STAA25) of unknown identity. In this present polyphasic taxonomy study, including genome-based analyses, we discovered that these isolates represent two novel species belonging to the genus Vagococcus . In all phylogenetic analyses, PNs007 T was positioned very close to Vagococcus fessus but both the average nucleotide identity (ANI; 89.5 %) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH; 38.3 %) values distinguished it as a novel vagococcal species. STAA11 T and STAA25 were genetically highly similar (16S rRNA, ANI and dDDH 100 %). The phylogenetic position of STAA11 T was adjacent to but out of the cluster containing V. fessus , Vagococcus coleopterorum and PNs007 T . According to the ANI (76.2–76.4 %) and dDDH (<22.6 %) values it also represented a novel vagococcal species. Phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic properties of both novel species were typical for vagococci and they contained C 16 : 0 (25.5–30.1 %) and C 18 : 1 ω9 c (67.3–73.0 %) as the major cellular fatty acids. The streptomycin-resistant genotype of STAA11 T and STAA25 allowing the growth on streptomycin thallous acetate actidione medium was considered to result from a modification in codon 104 of the rpsL gene leading to P104A substitution. The ability of STAA11 T and STAA25 to produce ammonia from arginine separated them from PNs007 T , which did not show arginine deiminase activity. We propose the names Vagococcus proximus sp. nov. (type strain PNs007 T =DSM 115185 T =CCUG 76696 T ) and Vagococcus intermedius sp. nov. (type strain STAA11 T =DSM 115183 T =CCUG 76697 T ) for these novel species.