Legionella maioricensis sp. nov., a new species isolated from the hot water distribution systems of a hospital and a shopping center during routine sampling

Abstract

Two Legionella -like strains isolated from hot water distribution systems in 2012 have been characterized phenotypically, biochemically and genomically in terms of DNA relatedness. Both strains, HCPI-6T and EUR-108, exhibited biochemical phenotypic profiles typical of Legionella species. Cells were Gram-negative motile rods which grew on BCYEα agar but not on blood agar and displayed phenotypic characteristics typical of the family Legionellaceae , including a requirement for l-cysteine and testing catalase positive. Both strains were negative for oxidase, urease, nitrate reduction and hippurate negative, and non-fermentative. The major ubiquinone was Q12 (59.4 % HCPI-6T) and the dominant fatty acids were C16 : 1 ω7c (28.4 % HCPI-6T, ≈16 % EUR-108), C16 : 0 iso (≈22.5 % and ≈13 %) and C15 : 0 anteiso (19.5 % and ≈23.5 %, respectively). The percent G+C content of genomic DNA was determined to be 39.3 mol %. The 16S rRNA gene, mip sequence and comparative genome sequence-based analyses (average nucleotide identity, ANI; digital DNA–DNA hybridization, dDDH; and phylogenomic treeing) demonstrated that the strains represent a new species of the genus Legionella . The analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the sequence similarities for both strains ranged from 98.8–90.1 % to other members of the genus. The core genome-based phylogenomic tree (protein-concatemer tree based on concatenation of 418 proteins present in single copy) revealed that these two strains clearly form a separate cluster within the genus Legionella . ANI and dDDH values confirmed the distinctiveness of the strains. Based on the genomic, genotypic and phenotypic findings from a polyphasic study, the isolates are considered to represent a single novel species, for which the name Legionella maioricensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HCPI-6T (=CCUG 75071T=CECT 30569T).