Staphylococcus borealis sp. nov., isolated from human skin and blood

Abstract

When analysing a large cohort of <i>Staphylococcus haemolyticus</i>, using whole-genome sequencing, five human isolates (four from the skin and one from a blood culture) with aberrant phenotypic and genotypic traits were identified. They were phenotypically similar with yellow colonies, nearly identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and initially speciated as <i>S. haemolyticus</i> based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and MALDI-TOF MS. However, compared to <i>S. haemolyticus</i>, these five strains demonstrate: (i) considerable phylogenetic distance with an average nucleotide identity <95 % and inferred DNA–DNA hybridization <70 %; (ii) a pigmented phenotype; (iii) urease production; and (iv) different fatty acid composition. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic results, we conclude that these strains represent a novel species, for which the name <i>Staphylococcus borealis</i> sp. nov. is proposed. The novel species belong to the genus <i>Staphylococcus</i> and is coagulase- and oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. The type strain, 51-48^T, is deposited in the Culture Collection University of Gothenburg (CCUG 73747^T) and in the Spanish Type Culture Collection (CECT 30011^T).