Veillonella faecalis sp. nov., a propionic acid-producing bacterium isolated from the faeces of an infant.

A strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, catalase-negative, cocci-shaped, and propionate-producing bacterial strain, named Ds1651T was isolated from the fecal sample collected from a South Korean infant. Through a comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences, it was revealed that Ds1651T had the highest phylogenetic affinity with Veillonella nakazawae KCTC 25297 T (99.86%), followed by Veillonella infantium KCTC 25370 T (99.80%), and Veillonella dispar KCTC 25309 T (99.73%) in the family Veillonellaceae. Average nucleotide identity values between Ds1651T and three reference species were 95.48% for Veillonella nakazawae KCTC 25297 T, 94.46% for Veillonella infantium KCTC 25370 T, and 92.81% for Veillonella dispar KCTC 25309 T. The G + C content of Ds1651T was 38.58 mol%. Major fermentation end-products were acetic and propionic acids in Trypticase peptone glucose yeast extract broth with 1% (v/v) sodium lactate. The predominant cellular fatty acids that account for more than 10% were summed in Feature 8 (C17:1 ω8c and/or C17:2) and C13:0. Based on the findings from phylogenetic, genomic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic studies, we propose that the type strain Ds1651T (= KCTC 25477 T = GDMCC 1.3707 T) represents a novel bacterial species within the genus Veillonella, with the proposed name Veillonella faecalis sp. nov.

Maturation of human intestinal organoids in vitro facilitates colonization by commensal lactobacilli by reinforcing the mucus layer.

Lactobacilli, which are probiotic commensal bacteria that mainly reside in the human small intestine, have attracted attention for their ability to exert health-promoting effects and beneficially modulate host immunity. However, host epithelial-commensal bacterial interactions are still largely unexplored because of limited access to human small intestinal tissues. Recently, we described an in vitro maturation technique for generating adult-like, mature human intestinal organoids (hIOs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that closely resemble the in vivo tissue structure and cellular diversity. Here, we established an in vitro human model to study the response to colonization by commensal bacteria using luminal microinjection into mature hIOs, allowing for the direct examination of epithelial-bacterial interactions. Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus plantarum were more likely to survive and colonize when microinjected into the lumen of mature hIOs than when injected into immature hIOs, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, colony formation assay, immunofluorescence, and real-time imaging with L plantarum expressing red fluorescent protein. The improved mature hIO-based host epithelium system resulted from enhanced intestinal epithelial integrity via upregulation of mucus secretion and tight junction proteins. Our study indicates that mature hIOs are a physiologically relevant in vitro model system for studying commensal microorganisms.

Targeted knockout of a chemokine-like gene increases anxiety and fear responses.

Emotional responses, such as fear and anxiety, are fundamentally important behavioral phenomena with strong fitness components in most animal species. Anxiety-related disorders continue to represent a major unmet medical need in our society, mostly because we still do not fully understand the mechanisms of these diseases. Animal models may speed up discovery of these mechanisms. The zebrafish is a highly promising model organism in this field. Here, we report the identification of a chemokine-like gene family, samdori (sam), and present functional characterization of one of its members, sam2 We show exclusive mRNA expression of sam2 in the CNS, predominantly in the dorsal habenula, telencephalon, and hypothalamus. We found knockout (KO) zebrafish to exhibit altered anxiety-related responses in the tank, scototaxis and shoaling assays, and increased crh mRNA expression in their hypothalamus compared with wild-type fish. To investigate generalizability of our findings to mammals, we developed a Sam2 KO mouse and compared it to wild-type littermates. Consistent with zebrafish findings, homozygous KO mice exhibited signs of elevated anxiety. We also found bath application of purified SAM2 protein to increase inhibitory postsynaptic transmission onto CRH neurons of the paraventricular nucleus. Finally, we identified a human homolog of SAM2, and were able to refine a candidate gene region encompassing SAM2, among 21 annotated genes, which is associated with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder in the 12q14.1 deletion syndrome. Taken together, these results suggest a crucial and evolutionarily conserved role of sam2 in regulating mechanisms associated with anxiety.

The Mediating Effect of Insomnia on the Relationship between Panic Symptoms and Depression in Patients with Panic Disorder.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine if sleep disturbances may mediate the relationship between panic symptoms and depression in patients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS: Electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed for 110 consecutive patients with diagnosed PD in an outpatient clinic between October 2018 and December 2019. Measurements include the PD Severity Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Statistical analyses were performed to assess any potential relationship between PD, insomnia and depression. RESULTS: Of the PD patients, 88 (80%) and 89 (80.9%) had comorbid depression (BDI-II ≥ 14) and insomnia (Korean version of the ISI ≥ 8), respectively. In a mediation model using insomnia as the mediating variable, the total effect of panic symptom severity on depression was significant (t = 7.23, P < 0.001). There were significant effects of panic symptoms on insomnia (t = 4.62, P < 0.001) and of insomnia on depression (t = 6.69, P < 0.001). The main effect of panic symptom severity on depression was also significant, after controlling for the effect of insomnia (t = 5.10, P < 0.001), suggesting partial mediation. CONCLUSION: Both depressive symptoms and insomnia are common in patients with PD and depression was partially mediated by insomnia in these patients. These results suggest that an intervention for insomnia in patients with PD might help prevent the development of depression.

Lactococcus kimchii sp. nov., a new lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi.

A coccus strain designated S-13T was isolated from commercial baechu-kimchi in Korea. Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain S-13T had the highest similarity to Lactococcus taiwanensis 0905C15T (97.9 %), Lactococcus lactis subsp. tructae L105T (97.6 %), Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NCDO 607T (97.5 %), Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae NBRC 100931T (97.2 %), and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM 5805T (97.2 %). The detailed phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA, rpoB and recA genes indicated that S-13T was separated from the other species and subspecies in the genus Lactococcus. The DNA-DNA relatedness between S-13T and closely related type strains, such as L. taiwanensis 0905C15T, L. lactis subsp. tructae L105T, L. lactis subsp. cremoris NCDO 607T, L. lactis subsp. hordniae NBRC 100931T, and L. lactis subsp. lactis JCM 5805T was 25.6, 20.4, 25.1, 20.2 and 21.7 %, respectively. The major fatty acids were C16 : 0, cyclo-C19 : 0ω8c and C 14 : 0. The DNA G+C content of S-13T was 39.4 mol%. From the results of the phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic analysis, it was concluded that strain S-13T represents a novel species in the genus Lactococcus for which the name Lactococcus kimchii sp. nov. (=KCTC 21096T=NBRC 113348T) is proposed.

Thermomonas aquatica sp. nov., isolated from an industrial wastewater treatment plant.

A white-coloured, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium (designated strain SY21T) was isolated from waste-activated sludge. Optimal growth occurred at 28 °C and pH 7.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain SY21T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 95.5-98.0 % to Thermomonas species and clustered with the type species of the genus Thermomonas. In strain SY21T, the predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-8, and the cellular fatty acids consisted mainly of iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0, iso-C11 : 0 3-OH, summed feature 3 and summed feature 9. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The genomic DNA G+C content was determined to be 67.9 mol% and the DNA-DNA relatedness between strain SY21T and the closest phylogenetically related strain, Thermomonas carbonis KCTC 42013T, was 35.0±0.1 %. Based on the distinct phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain SY21T represents a novel species of the genus Thermomonas, for which the name Thermomonas aquatica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SY21T (=KCTC 62191T=NBRC 113114T).

Lactobacillus porci sp. nov., isolated from small intestine of a swine.

A facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, catalase-negative, rod-shaped lactic acid bacterium, designated SG816T, was isolated from small intestine of a swine. Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C and pH 7.0. Furthermore, growth occurred in NaCl up to 0.5 % (w/v) but not at levels of salinity higher than 1 %. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the matrix-associated laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectometry profiling showed that strain SG816T was closely related to Lactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp. bulgaricus KCTC 3635T (95.9 %) and Lactobacillus delbrueckiisubsp. indicus JCM 15610T (95.9 %), followed by other Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies (95.9-95.7 %) and Lactobacillus equicursoris DSM 19284T (95.6 %). A comparison of two housekeeping genes, RNA polymerase alpha subunit (rpoA) and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase alpha subunit (pheS), revealed that strain SG816T formed a separate branch within the clade of the genus Lactobacillus. The DNA G+C content level of the strain SG816T was 51.5 mol%. The strain was homofermentative and produced d-lactic acid from glucose fermentation. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) of the isolate were C18 : 1ω9c and C16 : 0. The peptidoglycan type was A4α l-Lys-d-Asp. On the basis of distinct phenotypic and phylogenetic properties, strain SG816T represents a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus porci sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG816T (=KCTC 21090T=NBRC 112917T).

Tabrizicola fusiformis sp. nov., isolated from an industrial wastewater treatment plant.

The translucent white-coloured, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, fusiform-shaped bacterium (designated strain SY72T) was isolated from waste-activated sludge. Optimal growth occurred at 30-37 °C and pH 6.0-7.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the novel isolate belonged to the family Rhodobacteraceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria. Strain SY72T is closely related to Tabrizicola aquatica KCTC 23724T (97.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and Pseudorhodobacter aquaticus DC2N1-10T (96.4 %), respectively. DNA-DNA relatedness between strain SY72T and the closest phylogenetically related strain, Tabrizicola aquatica KCTC 23724T, was 18.0±0.7 %. In strain SY72T, the predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10, and the cellular fatty acids consisted mainly of C18 : 1ω7c and C18 : 1ω7c-11 methyl. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. Photoautotrophic and photoheterotrophic growth did not occur in strain SY72T. Furthermore, strain SY72T did not produce photosynthetic pigments or contain the photosynthetic genes pufL and pufM, by which it differed from the phototrophic species of the family Rhodobacteraceae. On the basis of distinct phenotypic and phylogenetic properties, strain SY72T represents a novel species of the genus Tabrizicola, for which the name Tabrizicola fusiformis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SY72T (=KCTC 62105T=NBRC 113021T).

Species-Specific Interactions between Plant Metabolites and Insect Juvenile Hormone Receptors.

Because juvenile hormone (JH) controls insect development and its analogs are used as insecticides, juvenile hormone disruptors (JHDs) represent potential sources from which novel pesticides can be developed. Many plant species harbor JHD activity, which has previously been attributed plant secondary metabolites (i.e., diterpenes) that disrupt insect development by interfering with the JH-mediated heterodimer formation of insect juvenile receptor complexes. The results of the present study indicate that plant JHD activity is also concentrated in certain plant groups and families and that plant metabolites have insect group-specific activity. These findings suggest that reciprocal diversification has occurred between plants and insects through the evolution of the plant metabolites and JH receptors, respectively, and that plant metabolites could be developed into insect group-specific pesticides with limited effects on non-target species.

Effects of carbon dioxide on metabolite production and bacterial communities during kimchi fermentation.

Bacterial communities and metabolites in kimchi fermented under conventional conditions (CC) compared to CO2-rich environments (CO2) were analyzed. After a 20-day fermentation, lactic and acetic acid productions were 54 and 69 mM under CC, and 19 and 12 mM under CO2, respectively. The final pH of kimchi fermented under CC (CC-fermenting) and CO2 (CO2-fermenting) were 4.1 and 4.7, respectively. For bacterial communities, OTU and Chao1 indices were both 35 in fresh kimchi, 10 and 15 in CC-fermenting kimchi, and 8 and 24 in CO2-fermenting kimchi, respectively. Shannon and Simpson indices were 3.47 and 0.93 in fresh kimchi, 1.87-0.06 and 0.46-0.01 in CC-fermenting kimchi, and 1.65-0.44 and 0.63-0.12 in CO2-fermenting kimchi, respectively. Non-lactic acid bacteria were eliminated in fermenting kimchi after 12 days under CC and 6 days under CO2. I conclude that carbon dioxide can alter bacterial communities, reduce metabolite production, and improve fermented kimchi quality.

Identification of plant compounds that disrupt the insect juvenile hormone receptor complex.

Insects impact human health through vector-borne diseases and cause major economic losses by damaging crops and stored agricultural products. Insect-specific growth regulators represent attractive control agents because of their safety to the environment and humans. We identified plant compounds that serve as juvenile hormone antagonists (PJHANs). Using the yeast two-hybrid system transformed with the mosquito JH receptor as a reporter system, we demonstrate that PJHANs affect the JH receptor, methoprene-tolerant (Met), by disrupting its complex with CYCLE or FISC, formation of which is required for mediating JH action. We isolated five diterpene secondary metabolites with JH antagonist activity from two plants: Lindera erythrocarpa and Solidago serotina. They are effective in causing mortality of mosquito larvae at relatively low LD50 values. Topical application of two diterpenes caused reduction in the expression of Met target genes and retardation of follicle development in mosquito ovaries. Hence, the newly discovered PJHANs may lead to development of a new class of safe and effective pesticides.

Development of A Textile Capacitive Proximity Sensor and Gait Monitoring System for Smart Healthcare.

Gait is not only one of the most important functions and activities in daily life but is also a parameter to monitor one's health status. We propose a single channel capacitive proximity pressure sensor (TCPS) and gait monitoring system for smart healthcare. Insole-type TCPS (270 mm in length) was designed consisting of three layers including two shield layers and a sensor layer. Analyzing the step count and stride time are the basic indicators in gait analysis, thus they were selected as evaluation indicators. A total of 12 subjects participated in the experiment to evaluate the resolution of our TCPS. To evaluate the accuracy of TCPS, step count and its error rates were simultaneously detected by naked eye, ZIKTO Walk (ZIKTO Co., Korea), and HJ-203-K pedometer (Omron Co., Japan) as reference. Results showed that the error rate of 1.77% in TCPS was lower than those of other devices and correlation coefficient was 0.958 (p-value = 0.000). ZIKTO Walk and pedometer do not provide information on stride time, therefore it was detected by F-scan (Tekscan, USA) to evaluate the performance of TCPS. As a result, error rate of stride time measured by TCPS was found to be 1% and the correlation coefficient was 0.685 (p-value = 0.000). According to these results, our proposed system may be helpful in development of gait monitoring and measurement system as smart healthcare.

Lacinutrix chionocetis sp. nov., isolated from gut of a red snow crab.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated MAB-07T, was isolated from the gut of a red snow crab. The novel strain grew optimally at 20 °C, pH 7.0-8.0, and in the presence of 3% (w/v) NaCl. A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain MAB-07T belongs to the type strains of species of the genus Lacinutrix. Strain MAB-07T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 95.5-97.8% with the type strains of species of the genus Lacinutrix. The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain MAB-07T were iso-C15:1 G (27.5%) and iso-C15:0 (21.7%). The major respiratory quinine was identified as MK-6. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, and two unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G + C content was determined to be 33.3%, and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of L. venerupis, L. mariniflava, L. jangbogonensis, L. algicola, and Olleya aquimaris were 28-32%. Based on the data from this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain MAB-07T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Lacinutrix, for which the name L. chionocetis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MAB-07T (=KCTC 42767T = JCM 30988T).

Conifer Diterpene Resin Acids Disrupt Juvenile Hormone-Mediated Endocrine Regulation in the Indian Meal Moth Plodia interpunctella.

Diterpene resin acids (DRAs) are important components of oleoresin and greatly contribute to the defense strategies of conifers against herbivorous insects. In the present study, we determined that DRAs function as insect juvenile hormone (JH) antagonists that interfere with the juvenile hormone-mediated binding of the JH receptor Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and steroid receptor coactivator (SRC). Using a yeast two-hybrid system transformed with Met and SRC from the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella, we tested the interfering activity of 3704 plant extracts against JH III-mediated Met-SRC binding. Plant extracts from conifers, especially members of the Pinaceae, exhibited strong interfering activity, and four active interfering DRAs (7α-dehydroabietic acid, 7-oxodehydroabietic acid, dehydroabietic acid, and sandaracopimaric acid) were isolated from roots of the Japanese pine Pinus densiflora. The four isolated DRAs, along with abietic acid, disrupted the juvenile hormone-mediated binding of P. interpunctella Met and SRC, although only 7-oxodehydroabietic acid disrupted larval development. These results demonstrate that DRAs may play a defensive role against herbivorous insects via insect endocrine-disrupting activity.

Leak Detection and Location of Water Pipes Using Vibration Sensors and Modified ML Prefilter.

This paper proposes a new leak detection and location method based on vibration sensors and generalised cross-correlation techniques. Considering the estimation errors of the power spectral densities (PSDs) and the cross-spectral density (CSD), the proposed method employs a modified maximum-likelihood (ML) prefilter with a regularisation factor. We derive a theoretical variance of the time difference estimation error through summation in the discrete-frequency domain, and find the optimal regularisation factor that minimises the theoretical variance in practical water pipe channels. The proposed method is compared with conventional correlation-based techniques via numerical simulations using a water pipe channel model, and it is shown through field measurement that the proposed modified ML prefilter outperforms conventional prefilters for the generalised cross-correlation. In addition, we provide a formula to calculate the leak location using the time difference estimate when different types of pipes are connected.

IFT46 plays an essential role in cilia development.

Cilia are microtubule-based structures that project into the extracellular space. Ciliary defects are associated with several human diseases, including polycystic kidney disease, primary ciliary dyskinesia, left-right axis patterning, hydrocephalus and retinal degeneration. However, the genetic and cellular biological control of ciliogenesis remains poorly understood. The IFT46 is one of the highly conserved intraflagellar transport complex B proteins. In zebrafish, ift46 is expressed in various ciliated tissues such as Kupffer׳s vesicle, pronephric ducts, ears and spinal cord. We show that ift46 is localized to the basal body. Knockdown of ift46 gene results in multiple phenotypes associated with various ciliopathies including kidney cysts, pericardial edema and ventral axis curvature. In ift46 morphants, cilia in kidney and spinal canal are shortened and abnormal. Similar ciliary defects are observed in otic vesicles, lateral line hair cells, olfactory pits, but not in Kupffer׳s vesicle. To explore the functions of Ift46 during mouse development, we have generated Ift46 knock-out mice. The Ift46 mutants have developmental defects in brain, neural tube and heart. In particular Ift46(-/-) homozygotes displays randomization of the embryo heart looping, which is a hallmark of defective left-right (L/R) axis patterning. Taken together, our results demonstrated that IFT46 has an essential role in vertebrate ciliary development.

Pseudoalteromonas aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped or ovoid bacterial strain, designated DB-2T, was isolated from a tidal flat of the Yellow Sea in South Korea, and subjected to a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. Strain DB-2T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain DB-2T belonged to the genus Pseudoalteromonas. Strain DB-2T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.17-97.36 % to the type strains of Pseudoalteromonas mariniglutinosa, Pseudoalteromonas spongiae and Pseudoalteromonas tetraodonis and of 93.79-96.99 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Pseudoalteromonas. Strain DB-2T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C12 : 0 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain DB-2T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified glycolipids, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain DB-2T was 54.9 ± 0.2 mol% and mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of P. mariniglutinosa, P. spongiae and P. tetraodonis were 10-17 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain DB-2T is separated from recognized species of the genus Pseudoalteromonas. On the basis of these data, strain DB-2T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Pseudoalteromonas, for which the name Pseudoalteromonas aestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DB-2T ( = KCTC 42779T = CECT 8945T).

Paracoccus aestuariivivens sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, non-motile and coccoid, ovoid or short-rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated GHD-30T, was isolated from a tidal flat on the Yellow Sea in South Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain GHD-30T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 6.5-7.5 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GHD-30Trepresented a member of the genus Paracoccus. Strain GHD-30T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.10-97.33 % to the type strains of Paracoccus lutimaris, Paracoccus limosus and Paracoccus halophilus and of 94.35-96.97 % to the type strains of the other species of the genus Paracoccus. Strain GHD-30T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids detected in strain GHD-30T were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain GHD-30T was 62.0 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of P. lutimaris, P. limosus, and P. halophilus were 11-19 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain GHD-30T is separated from recognized species of the genus Paracoccus. On the basis of the data presented, strain GHD-30T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus aestuariivivens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GHD-30T (=KCTC 52214T =NBRC 111993T).

Agathobaculum butyriciproducens gen. nov. sp. nov., a strict anaerobic, butyrate-producing gut bacterium isolated from human faeces and reclassification of Eubacterium desmolans as Agathobaculum desmolans comb. nov.

A novel bacterial strain, SR79T, was isolated from a Korean faecal sample and characterized using a polyphasic approach. SR79T was found to be a strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-negative short rod with no flagella. SR79T grew optimally at 37 °C in the presence of 0.5 % (w/v) NaCl at pH 7. The NaCl range for growth was 0-1 % (w/v). The isolate produced butyric acid (>18 mM) as a major end product. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the most closely related type strains were Eubacteriumdesmolans ATCC 43058T and Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum 25-3T (96.4 and 96.0 % similarity, respectively). The DNA G+C content was determined to be 52.9 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0, C18 : 1cis-9, C19 : 1 cyc 9,10 and C14 : 0. Meso-diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell wall peptidoglycan and the cell wall hydrolysates contained ribose, glucose and galactose. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, phylogenetic analysis, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characteristics allowed differentiation of SR79T, which represents a novel species of a new genus within the family Ruminococcaceae, for which the name Agathobaculum butyriciproducens gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SR79T (=KCTC 15532T=DSM 100391T). Based on the results of this study, it is also proposed to transfer Eubacteriumdesmolans to this new genus, as Agathobaculum desmolans comb. nov. The type strain of Agathobaculum desmolans is ATCC 43058T (=CCUG 27818T).