Classification of Lactobacillus divergens, Lactobacillus piscicola, and Some Catalase-Negative, Asporogenous, Rod-Shaped Bacteria from Poultry in a New Genus, Carnobacterium

Abstract

Biochemical and chemical studies were performed on some atypical lactobacilli from chicken meat in an attempt to clarify their taxonomy. The present study showed that the majority of the poultry strains could be allocated to the species Brochothrix thermosphacta, Lactobacillus divergens, and Lactobacillus piscicola. The majority of the remaining poultry strains fell into two distinct groups which were worthy of separate species status. Lactobacillus carnis was found to be a member of the species L. piscicola. On the basis of biochemical, physiological, and chemical criteria, we suggest that L. divergens, L. piscicola, and the two unidentified poultry taxa be classified in a new genus, Carnobacterium, as Carnobacterium divergens comb. nov., Carnobacterium piscicola comb. nov., Carnobacterium gallinarum sp. nov., and Carnobacterium mobile sp. nov. The type strains of C. gallinarum and C. mobile are NCFB 2766T and NCFB 2765T, respectively.