Reevaluation of the taxonomic status of recently described species of Enterococcus: evidence that E. thailandicus is a senior subjective synonym of "E. sanguinicola" and confirmation of E. caccae as a species distinct from E. silesiacus

Several of the more recently proposed new species of Enterococcus are nearly identical based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and phenotypic traits. In the present study, DNA-DNA reassociation experiments, in conjunction with sequencing of the 16S rRNA and rpoB genes, provided evidence that "Enterococcus sanguinicola" and Enterococcus thailandicus actually represent the same species. In contrast, Enterococcus caccae and Enterococcus silesiacus, two other species with nearly identical 16S rRNA gene sequences, were confirmed to be separate species.