Enterococcus silesiacus sp. nov. and Enterococcus termitis sp. nov.

Three enterococci constituted two aberrant branches after numerical analysis of (GTG)5-PCR fingerprints: analogous patterns were found for two water isolates, strains W213 and W442T, and a separate position was found for an isolate from the gut of a termite, strain LMG 8895T. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis classified all three strains in the Enterococcus faecalis species group. Further sequencing analysis of the housekeeping gene pheS (encoding the phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase alpha-subunit) and whole-cell-protein analysis confirmed a distinct position for the two water isolates and the termite strain, respectively. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and distinct phenotypic features between the strains studied and representatives of the E. faecalis species group confirmed novel species status, respectively, for the two water isolates, strains W213 and W442T, and for strain LMG 8895T. The names Enterococcus silesiacus sp. nov. and Enterococcus termitis sp. nov. are proposed for the novel taxa, with W442T (= CCM 7319T = LMG 23085T) and LMG 8895T (= CCM 7300T) as the respective type strains.