Genomic evidence that Vibrio inhibens is a heterotypic synonym of Vibrio jasicida.

Abstract

Vibrio inhibens is a marine bacterium species of the genus Vibrio (Vibrionaceae, Gammaproteobacteria). The species has been shown to be closely related to members of the genus Vibrio in the so-called Harveyi clade. The clade includes at least 11 closely related species with similar physiological and biochemical properties. Due to these similarities, species of the Harveyi clade are difficult to characterize taxonomically. Previously phenotypic and genotypic properties of the V. inhibens type strain were compared with six species of the Harveyi clade, resulting in the possibility that V. inhibens could be a synonym of a previously described species. In this study, the taxonomic status of V. inhibens was analyzed using genomic approaches. The whole-genome sequence of the type strain of V. inhibens, CECT 7692T, was obtained and analyzed. Calculations of average nucleotide identity with the blast algorithm (ANIb) showed that CECT 7692T has an ANIb of 97.5 % or higher to five strains of Vibrio. jasicida, including the type strain, but an ANIb lower than 93.5 % to other members of the Harveyi clade Vibrio. Phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequences of 133 protein-coding genes showed a close evolutionary relationship of CECT 7692T to V. jasicida. Based on these results, Vibrio inhibens is proposed to be a later heterotypic synonym of V. jasicida.