Description of Bacteroides loescheii sp. nov. and Emendation of the Descriptions of Bacteroides melaninogenicus (Oliver and Wherry) Roy and Kelly 1939 and Bacteroides denticola Shah and Collins 1981

Abstract

Bacteroides loescheii, a new species from periodontal pockets and superficially cleaned tooth surfaces coronal to gingival margins and from various types of human infections, is described. Strains of B. loescheii are obligately anaerobic, gram-negative, usually pigmenting, nonmotile, nonsporeforming rods that do not grow well in 10% bile and that ferment carbohydrates. These strains previously were identified as Bacteroides melaninogenicus or Bacteroides oralis, but they have no deoxyribonucleic acid homology with the type strain of either of these two species. The type strain of B. loescheii is ATCC 15930. The descriptions of B. melaninogenicus and Bacteroides denticola are emended.