Abstract
A new H2/CO2-utilizing acetogenic bacterium was isolated from the feces of a non-methane-excreting human subject. The two strains S5a33 and S5a36 were strictly anaerobic, gram-positive, non-sporulating coccobacilli. The isolates grew autotrophically by metabolizing H2/CO2 to form acetate as sole metabolite and were also able to grow heterotrophically on a variety of organic compounds. The major end product of glucose and fructose fermentation was acetate; the strains also formed ethanol, lactate and, to a lesser extent, isobutyrate and isovalerate. The G+C content of DNA of strain S5a33 was 45.2 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that the two acetogenic isolates were phylogenetically identical and represent a new subline within Clostridium cluster XIVa. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic considerations, a new species, Ruminococcus hydrogenotrophicus, is proposed. The type strain of R. hydrogenotrophicus is S5a33 (DSM 10507). Furthermore, H2/CO2 acetogenesis appeared to be a common property of most of the species phylogenetically closely related to strain S5a33 (Clostridium coccoides, Ruminococcus hansenii, and Ruminococcus productus).
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 11 April 1996 / Accepted: 11 June 1996
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bernalier, A., Willems, A., Leclerc, M. et al. Ruminococcus hydrogenotrophicus sp. nov., a new H2/CO2-utilizing acetogenic bacterium isolated from human feces. Arch Microbiol 166, 176–183 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002030050373
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002030050373