Staphylococcus succinus sp. nov., isolated from Dominican amber

Two bacterial isolates, designated AMG-D1(T) and AMG-D2, were recovered from 25-35-million-year-oId Dominican amber. AMG-D1(T) and AMG-D2 biochemically most closely resemble Staphylococcus xylosus; they differ physiologically from other staphylococci, Fatty acid analysis and comparisons with extensive databases were unable to show relatedness to any specific taxon, Moreover, AMG-D1(T) and AMG-D-2 contain tuberculostearic acid and meso-diaminopimelic acid, characteristic of the G+C-rich coryneform bacteria, as opposed to L-lysine characteristic of staphylococci, AMG-D1(T) and AMG-D2 have a G+C ratio of 35 mol%, Phylogenetic analysis with the 16S rRNA gene indicated that AMG-D1(T) and AMG-D2 were most closely related to Staphylococcus equorum, S, xylosus Staphylococcus saprophyticus and other novobiocin-resistant staphylococci. Stringent DNA-DNA hybridization studies with AMG-D1(T) revealed similarities of 38% with S, equorum, 23 % with S, xylosus and 6 % with S, saprophyticus, The results indicate that AMC-D1(T) and AMG-D2 represent a novel species, which was named Staphylococcus succinus sp, nov. The type strain of the new species is AMG-D1 (ATCC 700337).