Apilactobacillus intestinapis sp. nov., isolated from the honeybee

The genus Apilactobacillus currently includes 12 species with validly published names, the majority of which are closely associated with honeybees. A Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative and fructose-dependent strain, designated 1-1-2 T , was isolated from the gut of a honeybee ( Apis mellifera ). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 1-1-2ᵀ represents a distinct lineage within the genus Apilactobacillus , with its closest phylogenetic neighbours being Apilactobacillus kunkeei YH-15 T (99.8% sequence similarity), Apilactobacillus nanyangensis HN36-1 T (99.8%) and Apilactobacillus apinorum Fhon13N T (98.8%). The complete genome of strain 1-1-2 T comprised 1,596,221 bp, with a G+C content of 37.1 mol%. Pairwise comparisons of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain 1-1-2 T and its closest phylogenetic neighbours – A. kunkeei DSMZ 12361 T , A. nanyangensis HN36-1 T and A. apinorum Fhon13N T – revealed ANI values ranging from 80.1% to 93.8% and dDDH values ranging from 22.6% to 52.1%. Strain 1-1-2 T can also be distinguished from its closest relatives based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Accordingly, we propose that strain 1-1-2 T represents a novel species within the genus Apilactobacillus , for which the name Apilactobacillus intestinapis sp. nov. is proposed, with 1-1-2 T (=BCRC 81468 T =NBRC 117233 T ) as the type strain.