Reclassification of Flavobacterium resinovorum Delaporte and Daste 1956 as Novosphingobium resinovorum comb. nov., with Novosphingobium subarcticum (Nohynek et al. 1996) Takeuchi et al. 2001 as a later heterotypic synonym.

The taxonomic status of Flavobacterium resinovorum Delaporte and Daste 1956 (Approved Lists 1980) was investigated using a polyphasic approach. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of F. resinovorum NCIMB 8767(T) was almost identical to that of the type strain of Novosphingobium subarcticum (Nohynek et al. 1996) Takeuchi et al. 2001, with 99.85 % sequence similarity. The DNA-DNA relatedness value between the type strains of these species was 100 %. Phenotypic comparison based on API 20E, API NE and API ZYM kits demonstrated that the type strains of F. resinovorum and N. subarcticum were also indistinguishable based on their biochemical properties. On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic evidence, it is therefore proposed to reclassify Flavobacterium resinovorum as Novosphingobium resinovorum comb. nov., with the type strain NCIMB 8767(T) =ATCC 33545(T) =DSM 7478(T) =LMG 8367(T), and that Novosphingobium subarcticum is a later heterotypic synonym of Novosphingobium resinovorum.