Isolation and characterization of Komagataeibacter piraceti sp. nov. and Novacetimonas labruscae sp. nov.: two novel microaerobic cellulose-producing acetic acid bacteria from vinegars

Karničnik, Bernarda (author), Accetto, Tomaž (author), Fanedl, Lijana (author), Jugović, Igor (author), Trček, Janja (author)

The genera Komagataeibacter and Novacetimonas comprise industrially important species that produce various foods, nanocellulose, acetan-like polysaccharides, enantioselective sugars, and other valuable products. Here, we describe two novel strains, Hr1 and Jurk4, isolated from pear and apple-grape organic vinegars that showed very high (≥99.39%) 16S rRNA gene sequence identities to species of the Komagataeibacter and Novacetimonas genera, respectively. However, analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences revealed only 92.6% sequence identity between the Hr1 strain and its closest relative, Komagataeibacter sucrofermentans LMG 18788T , and 93.8% sequence identity between the Jurk4 strain and its closest relative, Novacetimonas cocois JCM 31140T . Further whole-genome analysis showed for both strains an average nucleotide identity (ANI) below 94% and an in silico DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of less than 70% to their closest species, supporting their distinction as novel species. The strain Hr1 can be phenotypically differentiated from its closest Komagataeibacter species based on its ability to utilize (NH4)2SO4 as the sole nitrogen source in Asai medium with D-glucose and its inability to grow with 1-propanol as a sole carbon source. The strain Jurk4 can be differentiated from other Novacetimonas type strains based on its ability to produce 5-keto-D-gluconic acid, its growth in a medium with glycerol as the sole carbon source, and its inability to grow in an Asai medium with D-glucose. Both strains produce cellulose and possess clusters for acetane-like polysaccharide production, although of different types, which makes them industrially relevant. Based on these findings, we propose Komagataeibacter piraceti sp. nov. Hr1T (=ZIM B1167T = LMG 33628T ) and Novacetimonas labruscae sp. nov. Jurk4T (=ZIM B1166T = LMG 33630T ) as two novel members of the acetic acid bacteria group.

• Language: English
• Keywords: acetic acid bacteria, Acetobacteraceae, Komagataeibacter, Novacetimonas, Komagataeibacter piraceti, Novacetimonas labruscae, vinegar
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, iss. 2, art. 456
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-176005
• UDC: 579.6
• ISSN on article: 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms13020456
• COBISS.SI-ID: 226735619
• Publication date in RUL: 18.11.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Microorganisms
• Shortened title: Microorganisms
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2076-2607
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523277081

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: ocetnokislinske bakterije, nove vrste ocetnokislinskih bakterij, kis, hruškov kis, jabolčno-grozdni kis

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0097-2019
• Name: Prehrana in mikrobna ekologija prebavil