Olsenella scatoligenes sp. nov., a 3-methylindole- (skatole) and 4-methylphenol- (p-cresol) producing bacterium isolated from pig faeces.

Strain SK9K4(T), which is a strictly anaerobic, non-motile, non-sporulating, Gram-stain-positive, saccharolytic coccobacillus, was isolated from pig faeces. SK9K4(T) metabolized indol-3-acetic acid to 3-methylindole (skatole), which is the main contributor to boar taint; it also produced 4-methylphenol (p-cresol) from p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed that the isolate represented a new lineage within the genus Olsenella of the family Atopobiaceae . Strain SK9K4(T) was most closely related to the type strains of the three species of the genus Olsenella with validly published names; Olsenella profusa DSM 13989(T) (93.6%), Olsenella uli DSM 7084(T) (93.5%) and Olsenella umbonata DSM 22620(T) (92.7%). DNA-DNA relatedness values of strain SK9K4(T) with O. profusa , O. uli and O. umbonata were 28.3%, 69.1% and 27.2%, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content was 62.1 mol% and the major cellular fatty acids (constituting >10% of the total) were C(14 : 0) and C(18 : 1)ω9c. The major end product of glucose fermentation was lactic acid, with minor amounts of acetic acid and formic acid; no H2 was produced. Discrepancies in the fatty acid profiles, the MALDI-TOF mass spectra of cell extracts and the physiological and biochemical characteristics differentiated strain SK9K4(T) from other species of the genus Olsenella and indicate that the isolate represents a novel species within this genus. The name Olsenella scatoligenes sp. nov., is proposed and the type strain is SK9K4(T) ( = JCM 19907(T) = DSM 28304(T)).