Emendation of the Genus Auritidibacter Yassin et al. 2011 and Auritidibacter ignavus Yassin et al. 2011 based on features observed from Canadian and Swiss clinical isolates and whole-genome sequencing analysis

Auritidibacter ignavus is a Gram-stain-positive bacillus derived from otorrhea. Four strains derived from ear discharges in Canada and Switzerland, with features consistent with but distinguishable from Auritidibacter ignavus IMMIB L-1656 T (accession number FN554542) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (97.5 % similarity), were thought to represent a novel species of the genus Auritidibacter . Auritidibacter ignavus DSM 45359 T (=IMMIB L-1656 T ) was acquired to compare with Canadian and Swiss strains by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Unexpectedly, those isolates were observed to be consistent with A. ignavus DSM 45359 T by WGS (ANIb scores >98 %), MALDI-TOF (Bruker), cellular fatty acid analysis and biochemically (some differences were observed). A nearly full 16S rRNA gene sequence could not be readily prepared from A. ignavus DSM 45359 T , even after multiple attempts. A 16S rRNA gene chimeric consensus sequence created from the genome assembly of A. ignavus DSM 45359 T had only 97.5 % similarity to that of A. ignavus IMMIB L-1656 T , implying that 16S rRNA sequence accession number FN554542 could not be replicated. We concluded that our isolates of members of the genus Auritidibacter were consistent with A. ignavus DSM 45359 T , did not represent a novel species, and that the sequence corresponding to FN554542 was not reproducible. By WGS, A. ignavus DSM 45359 T had genome of 2.53×10 6  bp with a DNA G+C content of 59.34%, while genomes of Canadian and Swiss isolates ranged from 2.47 to 2.59×10 6  bp with DNA G+C contents of 59.3-59.52 %. A. ignavus NML 100628 (=NCTC 14178=LMG 30897) did not demonstrate a rodcoccus cycle. Emendation of Auritidibacter ignavus was proposed based on these results.