Reclassification of Shewanella putrefaciens Owen's genomic group II as Shewanella baltica sp. nov.

The taxonomic relationship between several Shewanella putrefaciens isolates from the Baltic Sea and reference strains of this species is presented in this study. Results from DNA-DNA hybridization using a newly developed non-radioactive detection system and from 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that S. putrefaciens is a heterogeneous species containing more than a single genomic group. The genomic group II was phylogenetically, genotypically and phenotypically distant enough from the species type strain to be classified as a single species within the genus Shewanella. Therefore, we propose to reclassify Owen's genomic group II as Shewanella baltica sp. nov. with the type strain NCTC 10735.