Virgibacillus:: a new genus to accommodate Bacillus pantothenticus (Proom and Knight 1950).: Emended description of Virgibacillus pantothenticus

Twelve strains named Bacillus pantothenticus, at least 29 Bacillus strains representing 16 species belonging to rRNA groups 1 and 2, one Bacillus dipsosauri strain, and 38 strains of Amphibacillus, Aneurinibacillus, Brevibacillus, Halobacillus. Paenibacillus, Sporosarcina and Marinococcus, were characterized genotypically using amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and phenotypically using routine diagnostic characters comprising 61 biochemical tests in the API System and 15 observations of vegetative cell and sporangial morphology. The B. pantothenticus strains were also characterized by fatty acid methyl ester analysis and SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins, ARDRA revealed that strains of B. pantothenticus formed a cluster quite separate from other species in rRNA group 1, supporting the recognition of the former as a separate genus, for which the name Virgibacillus is proposed, The polyphasic data also indicate the presence of an as yet undescribed new species within this genus, The species Virgibacillus pantothenticus and related organisms comprising this new genus can be distinguished from members of Bacillus rRNA group 1 (Bacillus sensu stricto), and from members of Paenibacillus and other aerobic endospore-forming bacteria by routine phenotypic tests.