Macrococcus capreoli sp. nov., a new fosfomycin resistant species isolated from feces and nasal swabs of deer

Five strains of Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, and coccoid-shaped bacteria, designated as TMW 2.2395^T, TMW 2.2628, TMW 2.2670, TMW 2.2756 and TMW 2.2757 were isolated from feces and nasal mucosa of wild living roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), respectively. The isolates share identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and are classified within the genus Macrococcus based on 16S and MALDI-TOF MS analyses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that average nucleotide identity (ANI) values were below the accepted thresholds for prokaryotic species delineation, with the type strains of M. goetzii, M. bohemicus and M. epidermidis showing the highest relatedness values (79.59 %, 79.30 % and 79.52 %, respectively). Digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values were below 23 % confirming that all five strains belong to a new species within the genus Macrococcus. All strains were catalase and oxidase positive, grew optimally at 37 °C and pH 7.0, but demonstrated considerably lower salt tolerance (< 7.5 % w/v nit iterativ) compared to other species in the genus. Moreover, the data of this study suggests that members of this new species possess an intrinsic resistance to fosfomycin, putatively mediated by a fosB homologue. The genomes range from 2.4 and 2.5 Mb in size, with a G+C content of 34.8 to 35.1 %. The primary respiratory quinone of the type strain TMW 2.2395^T is Menaquinone 6 (MK-6, 98.6 %), the cell wall peptidoglycan type is A3α L-Lys-Gly₃-L-Ser and the major fatty acids are C_14:0, C_16:0 and C_18:0. Phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data collectively suggest that these strains represent a novel species of the genus Macrococcus, for which the name Macrococcus capreoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TMW 2.2395^T = DSM 113939^T = LMG 32618^T.