Neisseria lisongii sp. nov. and Neisseria yangbaofengii sp. nov., isolated from the respiratory tracts of marmots

Four Gram-stain-negative, oxidase-positive, non-motile, cocci-shaped bacteria strains (ZJ106 T , ZJ104, ZJ785 T and ZJ930) were isolated from marmot respiratory tracts. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes, 53 ribosomal protein sequences and 441 core genes supported that all four strains belonged to the genus Neisseria with close relatives Neisseria weixii 10022 T and Neisseria iguanae ATCC 51483 T . Average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values were below the species-level thresholds (95–96 % for ANI, and 70 % for dDDH). The major fatty acids of all four strains were C 16 : 1 ω 7 c /C 16 : 1 ω 6 c , C 16 : 0 and C 18 : 1 ω 9 c . Major polar lipids were composed of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. MK-8 was the major menaquinone. Based on Virulence Factor Database analysis, the four strains were found to contain NspA and PorB H-factor binding proteins that promote evasion of host immunity. Strains ZJ106 T and ZJ104 contained structures similar to the capsule synthesis manipulator of Neisseria meningitidis . Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, we propose that strains ZJ106 T and ZJ785 T represent two novel species of the genus Neisseria , respectively, with the names Neisseria lisongii sp. nov. and Neisseria yangbaofengii sp. nov. The type strains are ZJ106 T (=GDMCC 1.3111 T =JCM 35323 T ) and ZJ785 T (=GDMCC 1.1998 T =KCTC 82336 T )