Characterization of the phylogenetic diversity of two novel species belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium: Bifidobacterium cebidarum sp. nov. and Bifidobacterium leontopitheci sp. nov

TwoBifidobacteriumstrains, i.e., 2176BTand 2177BT, were isolated from Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) and Goeldi's monkey (Callimico goeldii). Isolates were shown to be Gram-positive, non-motile, non-sporulating, facultative anaerobic andd-fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase-positive. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA sequences, multilocus sequences (includinghsp60,rpoB,dnaJ,dnaG andclpC genes) and the core genome revealed that bifidobacterial strains 2176BTand 2177BTexhibit close phylogenetic relatedness toBifidobacterium felsineumDSM 103139TandBifidobacterium bifidumLMG 11041T, respectively. Further genotyping based on the genome sequence of the isolated strains combined with phenotypic analyses, clearly show that these strains are distinct from each of the type strains of the so far recognizedBifidobacteriumspecies. Thus,Bifidobacterium cebidarumsp. nov. (2176BT=LMG 31469T=CCUG 73785T) andBifidobacterium leontopithecisp. nov. (2177BT=LMG 31471T=CCUG 73786Tare proposed as novelBifidobacteriumspecies.