Apibacter muscae, Genome sequencing and assembly. Apibacter sp.

Isolates G8, AL1, and CB23 were obtained from the guts of Muscae domestica house flies caught in Londerzeel, Belgium and Huye, Rwanda. Although isolated from distinct geographical locations, the strains had 99% identical 16S rRNA gene sequences which were 95% identical to other previously described Apibacter species. Whole genome sequences were obtained for all three novel strains, which were 2.4Mb in size with a G+C content of ~30.3 mol%. Bacteriological and biochemical analysis of the strains demonstrate distinctly different characteristics compared to other Apibacter species. Namely the three novel strains can be distinguished from A. mensalis and A. adventoris through urease and β-glucosidase activities. Whole-cell fatty acid methyl ester analysis shows that the fatty acid composition of the novel strains are also unique. On the basis of phylogenetic, genotypic, and phenotypic data, we propose to classify these isolates as representatives of a novel species of the genus Apibacter, Apibacter muscae sp. nov. in reference to its prevalence in housefly microbiota.