Acetatifactor muris gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from the intestine of an obese mouse.

We used selective agar media for culturing bacteria from the caecum of mice fed a high calorie diet. In addition to the isolation of Enterobacteriaceae growing on a medium containing cholesterol and bile salts, we focused on the characterization of strain CT-m2(T), which, based on 16S rDNA analysis, did not appear to correspond to any currently described organisms. The isolate belongs to the Clostridium cluster XIV and is most closely related to members of the Lachnospiraceae, including the genera Anaerostipes, Blautia, Butyrivibrio, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Eubacterium, Robinsoniella, Roseburia, Ruminococcus and Syntrophococcus (≤90 % similarity). Strain CT-m2(T) is a non-motile Gram-positive rod that does not form spores and has a G + C content of DNA of 48.5 %. Cells grow under strictly anoxic conditions (100 % N₂) and produce acetate and butyrate after growth in reduced WCA broth. In contrast to related species, the new bacterium does not metabolize glucose and is positive for phenylalanine arylamidase, and its major cellular fatty acid is C₁₄:₀. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic studies, the isolate merits recognition as a member of a novel genus and species, for which the name Acetatifactor muris is proposed. The type strain is CT-m2(T) (= DSM 23669(T) = ATCC BAA-2170(T)).