Phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization of some Globicatella-like organisms from human sources: description of Facklamia hominis gen. nov., sp. nov.

Six strains of a hitherto undescribed gram-positive, catalase-negative, facultatively anaerobic coccus from human sources were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies demonstrated that the unknown strains were genealogically homogeneous and constitute a new line closely related to, but distinct from, the genus Globicatella. The unknown bacterium was readily distinguished from Globicatella sanguis, the type species of the genus Globicatella, by the results of biochemical tests and an electrophoretic analysis of whole-cell proteins. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, we propose that the unknown bacterium be classified as Facklamia hominis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Facklamia hominis is CCUG 36813.