Genome-based reclassification of Sphingopyxis ummariensis as a later heterotypic synonym of Sphingopyxis terrae, with the descriptions of Sphingopyxis terrae subsp. terrae subsp. nov. and Sphingopyxis terrae subsp. ummariensis subsp. nov.

During the phylogenetic analysis of the genus Sphingopyxis, we found that an incorrect 16S rRNA gene sequence (accession number: D13727) was provided in the original description of Sphingopyxisterrae NBRC 15098 T and the wrong sequence has been adopted and used for a long time. It should be replaced by the new correct 16S rRNA gene sequence (accession number: MF618306). The new sequence shared the highest similarity (99.8 %) with that of Sphingopyxisummariensis DSM 24316 T . The average nucleotide identity (ANI) (96.87 %) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (75.30 %) values based on the whole-genome sequences and almost the same phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics of the two type strains revealed thatSphingopyxisummariensis should be a later heterotypic synonym ofSphingopyxisterrae. However, the distinctions in the genome size, hydrolysis of aesculin, α-glucosidase and particularly the fatty acid profiles strongly support that strain DSM 24316 T should be considered to represent a novel subspecies ofSphingopyxisterrae. Two novel subspecies are therefore proposed, namely Sphingopyxisterraesubsp. terrae subsp. nov. (type strain E-1-A T =NBRC 15098 T =JCM 10195 T =DSM 8831 T =LMG 17326 T ) and Sphingopyxisterraesubsp. ummariensis subsp. nov. (type strain UI2 T =DSM 24316 T =CCM 7428 T =MTCC 8591 T ).