Eleven strains of acetic acid bacteria were isolated from stems of sugarcane, fruits, and a flower in Japan. The isolates were separated into three groups, Groups I, II, and III, in the genus
Acetobacter according to phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences. The isolates had sequence similarities of 99.8-100% within the Group, 99.3-99.6% to those of the type strains of each related
Acetobacter species, and less than 98.4% to those of the type strains of other
Acetobacter species. Genomic DNA G+C contents of Groups I, II, and III were 59.2-59.4, 60.5-60.7, and 58.7-58.9 mol%, respectively. The isolates in the Group showed high values of DNA-DNA relatedness to each other, but low values less than 46% to the type strains of related
Acetobacter species. A good correlation was found between the three Groups and groups based on DNA G+C contents and DNA-DNA relatedness. All the strains had Q-9 as the main component, and Q-8 and Q-10 as minor components. The isolates in the three Groups did not completely match with any
Acetobacter species on catalase reaction, the production of ketogluconic acids from D-glucose, growth on ammoniac nitrogen with ethanol (Hoyer-Frateur medium and Frateur modified Hoyer medium), growth on 30% (w/v) D-glucose, growth in 10% (v/v) ethanol, or DNA G+C contents. On the basis of phylogenetic relationships in the genus
Acetobacter and chemosystematic and phenotypic characteristics, the three Groups were regarded as novel species in the genus
Acetobacter.
Acetobacter okinawensis sp. nov. is proposed for Group I,
Acetobacter papayae sp. nov. for Group II, and
Acetobacter persicus sp. nov. for Group III.
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