Streptococcus sciuri sp. nov., Staphylococcus marylandisciuri sp. nov. and Staphylococcus americanisciuri sp. nov., isolated from faeces of eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

One novel Streptococcus strain (SQ9-PEA^T) and two novel Staphylococcus strains (SQ8-PEA^T and GRT3^T) were isolated from faeces of a wild eastern grey squirrel. The strains were non-spore-forming, non-motile Gram-positive cocci, facultative anaerobes. The genomes for these strains were sequenced. The 16S rRNA gene and core-genome-based phylogenetic analyses showed that strain SQ9-PEA^T was closely related to Streptococcus hyointestinalis , strain SQ8-PEA^T to Staphylococcus pettenkoferi and Staphylococcus argensis , and strain GRT3^T to Staphylococcus rostri , Staphylococcus muscae and Staphylococcus microti . Average nucleotide identity and pairwise digital DNA–DNA hybridization values calculated for these novel strains compared to type strain genomes of phylogenetically related species within the genera Streptococcus and Staphylococcus clearly revealed that strain SQ9-PEA^T represents a novel species of the genus Streptococcus and strains SQ8-PEA^T and GRT3^T represent two novel species of the genus Staphylococcus . Phenotypical features of these novel type strains differed from the features of the type strains of other phylogenetically related species. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry supported identification of these novel species. Based on these data, we propose one novel species of the genus Streptococcus , for which the name Streptococcus sciuri sp. nov. with the type strain SQ9-PEA^T (=DSM 114656^T=CCUG 76426^T=NCTC 14727^T) is proposed, and two novel species of the genus Staphylococcus , for which the names Staphylococcus marylandisciuri sp. nov. with the type strain SQ8-PEA^T (=DSM 114685^T=CCUG 76423^T=NCTC 14723^T) and Staphylococcus americanisciuri sp. nov. with the type strain GRT3^T (=DSM 114696^T=CCUG 76427^T=NCTC 14722^T) are proposed. The genome G+C contents are 38.29, 36.49 and 37.26 mol% and complete draft genome sizes are 1 692 266, 2 371 088 and 2 237 001 bp for strains SQ9-PEA^T, SQ8-PEA^T and GRT3^T, respectively.