Description of Corynebacterium nasorum sp. nov. and Corynebacterium hallucis sp. nov. Isolated From Human Nasal Passages and Skin

Authors

• Elena B. Popowitch, Duke University
• Tommy H. Tran, Kansas City University
• Isabel F. Escapa, Baylor College of Medicine
• Eeshta Bhatt, Duke University
• Alp K. Sozat, Duke University
• Nashwa Ahmed, ​National Human Genome Research Institute
• Clayton Deming, ​National Human Genome Research Institute
• Ari Q. Roberts, Baylor College of Medicine
• NISC Comparative Sequencing Program
• Julia A. Segre, ​National Human Genome Research Institute
• Heidi H. Kong, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Sean Conlan, National Human Genome Research Institute
• Katherine P. Lemon, Baylor College of Medicine
• Matthew S. Kelly, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Abstract

Strains of two novel Corynebacterium species were cultured from samples of human nostrils and skin collected in the USA and Botswana. These strains demonstrated growth on Columbia Colistin-Nalidixic Acid agar with 5% sheep blood and in liquid media (brain-heart infusion and tryptic soy broth) supplemented with Tween 80, a source of the fatty acid oleic acid. Cells were Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, non-motile bacilli that showed catalase but not oxidase activity. Major fatty acids in both of these species were C18 : 1 ω9c (oleic acid), C16 : 0 (palmitic acid) and C18 : 0 (stearic acid). Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences identified these strains as belonging to the genus Corynebacterium (family Corynebacteriaceae). Whole-genome sequencing revealed that these strains formed distinct branches on a phylogenomic tree, with average nt identities of <95% relative to all previously described species. These results indicate that these strains represent novel species of Corynebacterium, for which we propose the names Corynebacterium hallucis sp. nov., with the type strain CTNIH22T (=ATCC TSD-435T=DSM 117774T), and Corynebacterium nasorum sp. nov., with the type strain KPL3804T (=ATCC TSD-439T=DSM 117767T). These data also indicate that 'Corynebacterium kefirresidentii' is designated C. nasorum sp. nov.

DOI

10.1099/ijsem.0.007305

Publication Date

10-22-2026

Keywords

Corynebacterium, nasal microbiota, skin microbiota, upper respiratory tract microbiome, whole-genome sequencing

ISSN

1466-5034

Recommended Citation

Popowitch EB, Tran TH, Escapa IF, Bhatt E, Sozat AK, Ahmed N, Deming C, Roberts AQ, NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Segre JA, Kong HH, Conlan S, Lemon KP, Kelly MS. Description of Corynebacterium nasorum sp. nov. and Corynebacterium hallucis sp. nov. Isolated From Human Nasal Passages and Skin. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2026; 76(10). doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.007305.