Peptococcus simiae sp. Nov., isolated from rhesus macaque faeces and emended description of the genus Peptococcus

A study of the faecal microbiome in three healthy female rhesus macaques revealed the presence of a novel obligately anaerobic, chemoorganoheterotrophic, non-sporing, coccoid, nonmotile, Gram-stain-positive bacterial species. Three strains of this species, designated as M108^T, M916-1/1, and M919-2/1, were non-haemolytic, H₂S-positive, catalase-positive, bile- and NaClsensitive and required peptone for growth. Strains also were asaccharolytic, able to utilize sulfite, thiosulfate and elemental sulfur as electron acceptors, and produced acetic and butyric acids as metabolic end-products. Strain M108^T is characterized by the prevalence of C_{14: 0}, C_{16: 0} and C_{18: 1}w9cis dimethyl acetal among the cellular fatty acids, and the presence of MK-10 menaquinone. The DNA G+C content was found to be 51 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains M108^T, M916-1/1 and M919-2/1 placed these strains into the genus Peptococcus (family Peptococcaceae). On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties we conclude that these strains represent a novel bacterial species for which the name Peptococcus simiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M108^T (=DSM 100347^T=VKM B-2932^T).