Klebsiella terrigena, a New Species from Soil and Water

Abstract

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-DNA hybridization and numerical analysis of electrophoretic protein patterns were carried out to determine the taxonomic position of 37 “Klebsiella pneumoniae-like” strains from nonclinical origin (soil and water) and previously studied by numerical taxonomy (group L of Gavini et al., Ann. Microbiol. [Inst. Pasteur] 128B: 45-59, 1977). The DNA interrelatedness for 20 selected strains of group L was at least 87%, except for two strains (63 and 69%). Protein electrophoretograms indicated likewise that at least 85% of the L strains constitute a genetically homogeneous group. The latter technique enabled the distinction of strains of group L from those of K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, and an unnamed Klebsiella cluster (group K) related to K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca. On the basis of their phenotypic characters, protein electrophoretic patterns, and DNA-DNA relatedness, we propose for these strains the name Klebsiella terrigena sp. nov., with strain CIP 80-07 (= CUETM 77-176) as the type strain. The DNA of this strain was found to be 49 to 64% homologous to K. oxytoca DNA, 48 to 63% to K. pneumoniae DNA, and 51% to K. ozaenae DNA.