Brytella acorum gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel acetic acid bacterium from sour beverages

Abstract

Polyphasic taxonomic and comparative genomic analyses revealed that a series of lambic beer isolates including strain LMG 32668^T and the kombucha isolate LMG 32879 represent a novel species among the acetic acid bacteria, with Acidomonas methanolica as the nearest phylogenomic neighbor with a valid name. Overall genomic relatedness indices and phylogenomic and physiological analyses revealed that this novel species was best classified in a novel genus for which we propose the name Brytella acorum gen. nov., sp. nov., with LMG 32668^T (=CECT 30723^T) as the type strain. The B. acorum genomes encode a complete but modified tricarboxylic acid cycle, and complete pentose phosphate, pyruvate oxidation and gluconeogenesis pathways. The absence of 6-phosphofructokinase which rendered the glycolysis pathway non-functional, and an energy metabolism that included both aerobic respiration and oxidative fermentation are typical metabolic characteristics of acetic acid bacteria. Neither genome encodes nitrogen fixation or nitrate reduction genes, but both genomes encode genes for the biosynthesis of a broad range of amino acids. Antibiotic resistance genes or virulence factors are absent.