Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Brucella

International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes

Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Brucella


Current membership Meetings Names of taxa	Back to ICSP main page
Copyright © 2011 ICSP	Last modified 7 July 2010

Michael J. Corbel (Corresponding member)

Alastair MacMillan (Corresponding member)


Meetings
Future meetings
Next Subcommittee meeting

Past meetings
10-13 September 2008. London, UK	A meeting was held at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, during the Brucellosis 2008 International Research Conference. The Subcommittee recommendation on sticking to pre-1986 (classical) taxonomic opinion on genus Brucella was re-emphasized. The marine mammal Brucella species, Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis, were discussed, and accepted as new species.
17 September 2003. Pamplona, Spain	Minutes: Osterman, B. & Moriyon, I. (2006).International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella. Minutes of the meeting, 17 September 2003, Pamplona, Spain. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56, 1173–1175. Unanimous recommendation on a return to pre-1986 taxonomic opinion on genus Brucella, implying re-approval of the six classical Brucella nomenspecies with their biovars. The potential novel marine mammal Brucella species were discussed (with ‘Brucella cetaceae’ and ‘Brucella pinnipediae’ as proposed names). Through correspondence after the meeting, the Subcommittee membership agreed upon the Brucella type and reference strains, referring to the six classical Brucella nomenspecies, presented in the minutes.
9 September 2000. Nimes, France	Minutes: MacMillan, A. (2006). International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella. Minutes of the meeting, 9 September 2000, Nimes, France. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56, 1171. The marine mammal Brucella strains were discussed.
5 and 7 July 1994. Prague, Czechoslovakia	Minutes: Corbel, M. J. & Moriyon, I. (2006). International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology; Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella: Minutes of the meeting, 5 and 7 July 1994, Prague, Czech Republic. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56, 1169–1170. The marine mammal Brucella strains were discussed.
1991-1993. Correspondence Report (Interim Report)	Minutes: Gargani, G. & López-Merino, A. (2006). International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology; Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella: Correspondence Report (Interim Report), 1991–1993. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56, 1167–1168.
1990. Osaka, Japan	Not reported
1986. Manchester, UK	Minutes: Corbel, M. J. (1988). Int J Syst Bact 38, 450-452. Recommendation on a change in taxonomic opinion on genus Brucella as being monospecific, harbouring Brucella melitensis as the single species with 18 biovars.
1982. Boston, USA	Minutes: Corbel, M. J. (1984). Int J Syst Bact 34, 366-367.
1978. Munich, Germany	Minutes: Corbel, M. J. (1978). Int J Syst Bact 32, 260-261. Brucella canis was recommended to be given full species status.
1974. Tokyo, Japan	Minutes: Wundt W. & Brinley-Morgan, W. J. (1975). Int J Syst Bact 25, 235-236 Reprint 1977, Ann Sclavo 19, 173-176. Brucella canis was seen as a provisional species.
1970. Mexico City, Mexico	Minutes: Jones, L. M. & Wundt, W. (1971). Int J Syst Bact 21, 126-128 Reprint 1977, Ann Sclavo 19, 167-172 Brucella ovis was recommended to be accepted as a new species.
1966, Moscow, Russia	Minutes: Jones, L. M. (1967). Int J Syst Bact 17, 371-375 Reprint 1977, Ann Sclavo 19, 162-166 Brucella neotomae was recommended to constitute a new species.
1962. Montreal, Canada	Minutes: Stableforth, A. W. & Jones, L. M. (1963). Int Bull Bact Nom Taxon 13, 145-158 Reprint 1977, Ann Sclavo 19, 151-161 Species characteristics for the three major species, Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus and Brucella suis were defined.
1958. Stockholm, Sweden	The ICSB Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Brucella was constituted; with primary task to formulate diagnostic criteria for Brucella species, based on recommendations by the WHO Expert Committee on Brucellosis in 1953 and 1958.

Unanimous Subcommittee recommendation on a return to pre-1986 taxonomic opinion on genus Brucella (classical Brucella taxonomy), implying re-approval of six classical Brucella nomenspecies with their recognized biovars (Pamplona 2003). The classical names related to the six Brucella nomenspecies are validly published in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names, 1980; designated type strains are attached to these validly published names. Discussions and decisions on recommendation on classification, i.e. recognition of the six classical Brucella nomenspecies as being of species rank within genus Brucella, are presented in reports and minutes from the meetings of the Brucella Taxonomy Subcommittee. Reference is made to “Proposal for minimal standards for descriptions of new species and biotypes of the genus Brucella”, by Corbel & Brinley-Morgan, in Int J Syst Bacteriol, 1975.

Genus Brucella Meyer and Shaw 1920. Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 is the nomenclatural type species of genus Brucella. Genus Brucella comprises the following ten described species:

Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920

Brucella abortus (Schmidt 1901) Meyer and Shaw 1920

Brucella suis Huddleson 1929

Brucella ovis Buddle 1956

Brucella neotomae Stoenner and Lackman 1957

Brucella canis Carmichael and Bruner 1968

Brucella ceti sp. nov. Cloeckaert et al., 2001; Foster et al., 2007

Brucella pinnipedialis sp. nov. Cloeckaert et al., 2001; Foster et al., 2007

Brucella microti sp. nov. (Hubalek et al. 2007) Scholz et al. 2008

Brucella inopinata sp. nov. (De et al. 2008) Scholz et al. 2010

In 2007, two new Brucella species were described, their names validly published. The first reports on marine mammal Brucella strains were published in 1994 (in Vet Rec by Ross, Foster, Reid, Jahans, MacMillan; in J Vet Diagn Invest by Ewalt, Payeur, Martin, Cummins, Miller). Proposed names of ‘Brucella cetaceae’ and ‘Brucella pinnipediae’ were published in Microbes Infect 2001 (Cloeckaert, Verger, Grayon, Paquet, Garin-Bastuji, Foster, Godfroid). Etymology has been corrected and the validly published names are Brucella ceti sp. nov. (cetaceans as preferred hosts) and Brucella pinnipedialis sp. nov. (seals as preferred hosts), in Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 57, 2688-2693 (Foster, Osterman, Godfroid, Jacques, Cloeckaert). These marine mammal Brucella strains (first genus Brucella members with non-terrestrial host preference) have been discussed in the Subcommittee since their discovery in 1994.

In early 2008, the ninth described Brucella species was added to the genus Brucella; the name of Brucella microti sp. nov. is validly published, in Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 58, 375-382 (Scholz, Hubalek, Sedlacek, Vergnaud, Tomaso, Al Dahouk, Melzer, Kämpfer, Neubauer, Cloeckaert, Maquart, Zygmunt, Whatmore, Falsen, Bahn, Göllner, Pfeffer, Huber, Busse, Nöckler). Two strains of this novel species were isolated from clinical specimens of diseased wild common voles during an epizootic in South Moravia, Czech Republic, in 1999 (2007, Vector-Borne Zoonotic Dis, Hubalek, Scholz, Sedlacek, Melzer, Sanogo, Nesvadbova). The type strain is exhibiting outstanding metabolic capabilities and phenotypic behaviour with respect to all other members of genus Brucella.

In 2010, the tenth described Brucella species was added to the genus Brucella; the name of Brucella inopinata sp. nov. is validly published, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 60, 801-808 (Scholz, Nöckler, Göllner, Bahn, Vergnaud, Tomaso, Al Dahouk, Kämpfer, Cloeckaert, Maquart, Zygmunt, Whatmore, Pfeffer, Huber, Busse, De). A strain was isolated from a breast implant infection of a female patient with clinical signs of brucellosis. As described for B. microti, exhibiting outstanding metabolic capabilities and phenotypic behaviour, also from molecular analysis, this type strain is different from all other Brucella species.

Validly published names, with details of type and reference strains, of taxa within the remit of this subcommittee.

Prepared by Bjorn Osterman. Updated 7 July 2010.

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International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes

Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Brucella

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