A bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacterium, which was isolated from the Korean fermented-vegetable food kimchi, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study using phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic and genetic methods. This organism (MT-1077T) has phenotypic properties that are consistent with the description characterizing the genus Lactobacillus. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences showed clearly that strain MT-1077T is a member of the genus Lactobacillus. The closest phylogenetic relatives are Lactobacillus alimentarius KCTC 3593T and Lactobacillus farciminis LMG 9200T, with levels of 16S rDNA similarity of 98.4 and 98.2%, respectively. Levels of 16S rDNA similarity between strain MT-1077T and other Lactobacillus species were less than 93.0%. Differences in some phenotypic characteristics and DNA-DNA relatedness data indicated that strain MT-1077T should be distinguished from L. alimentarius KCTC 3593T and L. farciminis LMG 9200T. On the basis of the data presented, it is proposed that strain MT-1077T should be placed in the genus Lactobacillus as a new species, Lactobacillus kimchii sp. nov. The type strain of the new species is strain MT-1077T (= KCTC 8903PT = JCM 10707T).

Characterization and identification of strain CW 1 (= JCM 17161) isolated from corn silage were performed. Strain CW 1 was a Gram-positive, catalase-negative and homofermentative rod that produced the DL-form of lactic acid. This strain exhibited more than 99.6% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and greater than 82% DNA-DNA reassociation with type strains of Lactobacillus kimchii, L. bobalius and L. paralimentarius. To clarify the taxonomic positions of these type strains, phenotypic characterization, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, ribotyping and DNA-DNA relatedness were examined. The three type strains displayed different L-arabinose, lactose, melibiose, melezitose, raffinose and N-acetyl-�]-glucosaminidase fermentation patterns. Phylogenetic analysis showed that L. paralimentarius is a closer neighbour of L. kimchii and L. bobalius, sharing 99.5-99.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, which was confirmed by the high DNA-DNA relatedness (?82%) between L. paralimentarius JCM 10415(T), L. bobalius JCM 16180(T) and L. kimchii JCM 10707(T). Therefore, it is proposed that L. kimchii and L. bobalius should be reclassified as later synonyms of L. paralimentarius.

Lactobacillus bobalius, Lactobacillus kimchii and Lactobacillus paralimentarius belong to the genus Lactobacillus and show close phylogenetic relationships. In a previous study, L. bobalius and L. kimchii were proposed to be reclassified as later heterotypic synonyms of L. paralimentarius using high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities (?99.5 %) and DNA-DNA hybridization values (?82 %). We determined high quality whole genome assemblies of the type strains of L. bobalius and L. kimchii, which were then compared with that of L. paralimentarius. Average nucleotide identity values among three genomes ranged from 91.4 to 92.3 % which are clearly below 95~96 %, the generally recognized cutoff value for bacterial species boundaries. On the basis of comparative genomic evidence, L. bobalius, L. kimchii, and L. paralimentarius should stand as separate species in the genus Lactobacillus. We therefore suggest rejecting the previous proposal to combine these three species into a single species.

A Lactobacillus strain, designated 203(T), previously isolated from Bobal grape must was characterized phylogenetically, genotypically and phenotypically in order to establish whether it represents a novel species. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain 203(T) was shown to belong to the genus Lactobacillus, falling within the Lactobacillus alimentarius-Lactobacillus farciminis group and being closely related to the type strains of L. alimentarius, Lactobacillus kimchii and Lactobacillus paralimentarius. DNA-DNA hybridization results confirmed the separate status of strain 203(T) at the species level. To establish the similarities and differences between 203(T) and the three aforementioned closest species, the following methods were used: amplified rDNA restriction analysis, analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling, ribotyping, carbohydrate fermentation and physiological tests. Strain 203(T) could be differentiated genetically using RAPD analysis and ribotyping. Phenotypically, it can be distinguished from its closest relatives by its ability to grow at pH 3.3, by gas production from gluconate and by certain carbohydrate fermentations. On the basis of these data, strain 203(T) represents a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus bobalius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 203(T) (=CECT 7310(T) =DSM 19674(T)).