Testudinibacter aquarius gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the family Pasteurellaceae isolated from the oral cavity of freshwater turtles.

A total of 13 Pasteurellaceae isolates from healthy freshwater turtles were characterized by genotypic and phenotypic tests. Phylogenetic analysis of partial 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences showed that the isolates investigated formed a monophyletic group. The closest related species based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing was Chelonobacter oris CCUG 55632T with 94.4 % similarity and the closest related species based on rpoB gene sequence comparison was [Pasteurella] testudinis CCUG 19802T with 91.5 % similarity. All the investigated isolates exhibited phenotypic characteristics of the family Pasteurellaceae. However, they could be separated from existing genera of the Pasteurellaceae by the following test results: indole, ornithine decarboxylase and Voges-Proskauer positive; and methyl red, urease and PNPG (α-glucosidase) negative. No X- or V-factor requirement was observed. A zone of β-haemolysis surrounded the colonies after 24 h of incubation on bovine blood agar at 37 °C. Acid was produced from l-arabinose, dulcitol, d-mannitol, sucrose and trehalose. Representative strain ELNT2xT had a fatty acid profile that was characteristic for members of the Pasteurellaceae. ELNT2xT expressed only one respiratory quinone, ubiquinone-8 (100 %). The DNA G+C content of strain ELNT2xT was 42.8 mol%. On the basis of both phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that the strains should be classified as representatives of a novel species of a new genus, Testudinibacter aquarius gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Testudinibacter aquarius is ELNT2xT ( = CCUG 65146T = DSM 28140T), which was isolated from the oral cavity of a captive eastern long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) in Denmark in 2012.