AUTHOR=Liu Lina , Feng Yu , Wei Li , Qiao Fu , Zong Zhiyong 

TITLE=Precise Species Identification and Taxonomy Update for the Genus Kluyvera With Reporting Kluyvera sichuanensis sp. nov.

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.579306

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.579306

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Kluyvera</italic> is a genus within the family <italic>Enterobacteriaceae</italic> and can cause various human infections but remains poorly studied. A carbapenem-resistant <italic>bla</italic><sub>NDM–</sub><sub>1</sub>-carrying <italic>Kluyvera</italic> strain 090646<sup>T</sup> was isolated from a hospital sink in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Whole genome sequencing of the strain revealed that it had 28.2 to 42.3% <italic>in silico</italic> DNA-DNA hybridization (<italic>is</italic>DDH) scores and 84.15 to 90.10% average nucleotide identity (ANI) values with other <italic>Kluyvera</italic> species. Both values are well below the ≥ 70.0% <italic>is</italic>DDH and ≥ 95–96% ANI cutoffs to define bacterial species, suggesting that the strain represents a novel species of the genus <italic>Kluyvera</italic>, for which the name <italic>Kluyvera sichuanensis</italic>. nov. is proposed. Type strain of <italic>K. sichuanensis</italic> is 090646<sup>T</sup> (=GDMCC 1.1872<sup>T</sup> =KCTC 82166<sup>T</sup>). Strain 090646<sup>T</sup> can be differentiated from other <italic>Kluyvera</italic> species by its ability to utilize <sc>D</sc>-sorbitol but not β-galactosidase (ONPG), <sc>D</sc>-mannose, glycerin, raffinose, nor sucrose. There were 47 genome sequences labeled as <italic>Kluyvera</italic> in GenBank, which were curated for precise species identification. Only 33 of the 47 genomes were indeed of <italic>Kluyvera</italic> and four novel <italic>Kluyvera</italic> genomospecies were identified, highlighting that the species assignation of bacterial genomes in GenBank need to be curated. Genome sequencing for more strains is required to understand the genus <italic>Kluyvera</italic>.</p>