{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Discovery of a new bacterium, Microbacterium betulae sp. nov., in birch wood associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in woodworkers.
{Author}: Paściak M;Pawlik KJ;Martynowski D;Łaczmański Ł;Ciekot J;Szponar B;Wójcik-Fatla A;Mackiewicz B;Farian E;Cholewa G;Cholewa A;Dutkiewicz J;
{Journal}: Environ Microbiol Rep
{Volume}: 16
{Issue}: 4
{Year}: 2024 Aug
{Factor}: 4.006
{DOI}: 10.1111/1758-2229.13311
{Abstract}: A Gram-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped mesophilic bacterium was isolated from birch wood, referred to as the AB strain. Allergological tests suggest that this strain may cause allergic alveolitis in sawmill workers. Employing a polyphasic taxonomic approach, the AB strain's 16S rRNA gene sequence showed high similarity to Microbacterium barkeri and M. oryzae, with 97.25% and 96.91%, respectively, a finding supported by rpoB and gyrB sequence analysis. Further genome sequence comparison with the closely related M. barkeri type strain indicated a digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of 25.5% and an average nucleotide identity of 82.52%. The AB strain's cell wall peptidoglycan contains ornithine, and its polar lipids comprise diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and unidentified glycolipids. Its major fatty acids include anteiso C15:0, anteiso C17:0, and iso C16:0, while MK-10 is its predominant respiratory quinone. Comprehensive analysis through 16S rRNA, whole-genome sequencing, phenotyping, chemotaxonomy, and MALDI-TOF MS profiling indicates that the AB strain represents a new species within the Microbacterium genus. It has been proposed to name this species Microbacterium betulae sp. nov., with ABT (PCM 3040T = CEST 30706T) designated as the type strain.