LACTOBACILLUS-SAKE KATAGIRI, KITAHARA, AND FUKAMI 1934 IS THE SENIOR SYNONYM FOR LACTOBACILLUS-BAVARICUS STETTER AND STETTER 1980

The taxonomic relationships of six strains of Lactobacillus bavaricus, including type strain 136 (= DSM 20269) and reference strain Tro-8/78, Lactobacillus curvatus, and Lactobacillus sake were assessed by performing DNA-DNA hybridization experiments. We confirmed that L. curvatus and L. sake are genotypically distinct species. However, the previously described differentiation of L. bavaricus from L. sake could not be substantiated. We found that L. sake is specifically related to the type strain of L. bavaricus and all L. bavaricus reference strains except ''L. bavaricus'' Tro-8/78, which is related to L. curvatus. Clearly, strains identified as L. bavaricus Stetter and Stetter 1980 do not form a separate genotypic group, and the name L. bavaricus is a junior synonym of L. sake Katagiri, Kitahara, and Fukami 1934.