Transfer of Tsukamurella wratislaviensis Goodfellow et a. 1995 to the genus Rhodococcus as Rhodococcus wratislaviensis comb. nov..

A polyphasic study was undertaken to clarify the taxonomic position of the type strain (N805T) of Tsukamurella wratislaviensis. This organism showed a combination of phenotypic properties, notably chemotaxonomic markers, consistent with its classification in the genus Rhodococcus. Comparative 16S rDNA sequencing studies indicated that strain 805T falls into the Rhodococcus erythropolis subclade, where it forms a monophyletic group with the type strains of Rhodococcus opacus and Rhodococcus percolatus. The close relationship between these strains was underpinned by the results of mycolic acid analyses. However, strain N805T was distinguished from the R. opacus and R. percolatus strains in DNA-DNA pairing experiments and by using a range of phenotypic properties. In light of these studies, it is clear that strain N805T is misclassified in the genus Tsukamurella. It is, therefore, proposed that Tsukamurella wratislaviensis Goodfellow et al. 1995 be transferred to the genus Rhodococcus as Rhodococcus wratislaviensis comb. nov..