Campylobacter armoricus sp. nov., a novel member of the Campylobacter lari group isolated from surface water and stools from humans with enteric infection

Authors: BOUKERB, AMINE - Health, Environment And Microbiology Laboratory; PENNY, CHRISTIAN - Health, Environment And Microbiology Laboratory; SERGHINE, JOELLE - Health, Environment And Microbiology Laboratory; WALCZAK, CECILE - Luxembourg Institute Of Science & Technology; CAUCHIE, HENRY-MICHEL - Luxembourg Institute Of Science & Technology; Miller, William - Bill; LOSCH, SERGE - The Veterinary State Laboratory (LMVE); RAGIMBEAU, CATHERINE - National Laboratory Of Health; MOSSONG, JOEL - National Laboratory Of Health; MEGRAUD, FRANCIS - Pellegrin University Hospital; LEHOURS, PHILIPPE - Pellegrin University Hospital; BENEJAT, LUCIE - Pellegrin University Hospital; GOURMELON, MICHELE - Health, Environment And Microbiology Laboratory

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/14/2019
Publication Date: 11/12/2019
Citation: Boukerb, A.M., Penny, C., Serghine, J., Walczak, C., Cauchie, H., Miller, W.G., Losch, S., Ragimbeau, C., Mossong, J., Megraud, F., Lehours, P., Benejat, L., Gourmelon, M. 2019. Campylobacter armoricus sp. nov., a novel member of the Campylobacter lari group isolated from surface water and stools from humans with enteric infection. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 69(12):3969-3979. https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.003836.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.003836

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter have been isolated from a wide variety of environments and warm-blooded animals (birds, mammals). One division within Campylobacter is generally isolated from fresh water or marine (shorebirds, sea water and shellfish) environments. The original member of this division to be characterized was the human pathogen Campylobacter lari; thus, this division has been termed the lari group. This study describes a new member of the lari group, termed here Campylobacter armoricus. This proposed new species was shown to be distinct in terms of gene content from other members of the group. It was isolated from a shellfish harvesting area, and also from the stools of human patients with gastroenteritis, indicating its potential pathogenicity. It is distinguished from other related campylobacters by its ability to degrade urea and its inability to use nitrate.

Technical Abstract: During a study on the prevalence and diversity of Campylobacter spp. in a shellfish-harvesting area and its catchment in Brittany, France, nine urease-positive Campylobacter isolates were recovered. These strains were initially identified as belonging to the Campylobacter lari group by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and placed into a distinct group in the genus Campylobacter, following atpA gene sequence analysis based on whole genome sequencing data. This taxonomic position was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, rpoB and hsp60 loci, and an analysis of the core genome that provided improved resolution. The average nucleotide identity between the representative strain CA656T and the two most closely-related strains, Campylobacter ornithocola WBE38T and C. lari Slaughter Beach, is 88.6%, suggesting that strain CA656T is a representative of a novel Campylobacter taxon. The strains were found to be microaerobic and anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative, spiral-shaped bacteria that exhibit catalase, oxidase and urease activities but not nitrate reduction. Here, we present phenotypic and morphological features for the strain CA656T and the description of its complete genome sequence and annotation. The 1,588,860 bp long genome has a G+C content of 28.5% and encodes 1,588 protein genes, of which 38 are tRNAs. On the basis of the characteristics reported here, we propose the creation of a new bacterial species Campylobacter armoricus sp. nov., with strain CA656T as the type strain.