RESUMEN
Two Gram-stain-negative, terminal endospore-forming, rod-shaped and aerotolerant bacterial strains designated D1-1T and B3 were isolated from soil samples of an organic paddy in Japan. Strain D1-1T grew at 15-37 °C, pH 5.0-7.3, and with up to 0.5â% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain D1-1T belonged to the genus Clostridium and was closely related to Clostridium zeae CSC2T (99.7â% sequence similarity), Clostridium fungisolvens TW1T (99.7â%) and Clostridium manihotivorum CT4T (99.3â%). Strains D1-1T and B3 were whole-genome sequenced and indistinguishable, with an average nucleotide identity value of 99.7â%. The average nucleotide identity (below 91.1â%) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (below 43.6â%) values between the two novel isolates and their corresponding relatives showed that strains D1-1T and B3 could be readily distinguished from their closely related species. A novel Clostridium species, Clostridium folliculivorans sp. nov., with type strain D1-1T (=MAFF 212477T=DSM 113523T), is proposed based on genotypic and phenotypic data.