Abstract
A Gram-stain-negative, bacilli-shaped bacterial strain, LS-1(T), was isolated from a sewage water sample collected in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The taxonomic position of strain LS-1(T) was investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and those of four other genes indicated that strain LS-1(T) belongs to the genus Legionella in the family Legionellaceae. Regarding the 16S rRNA gene, the most closely related species are Legionella rowbothamii LLAP-6(T) (98.6 %) and Legionella lytica L2(T) (98.5 %). The mip gene sequence of strain LS-1(T) showed 94% sequence similarity with that of L. lytica L2(T) and 93% similarity with that of L. rowbothamii LLAP-6(T). Strain LS-1(T) grew optimally at a temperature of 32 degrees C on a buffered charcoal yeast extract (BCYE) agar plate in a 5% CO2 atmosphere and had a flagellum. The combined phylogenetic, phenotypic and genomic sequence data suggest that strain LS-1(T) represents a novel species of the genus Legionella, for which the name Legionella saoudiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LS-1(T) (= DSM 101682(T) = CSUR P2101(T)).