AUTHOR=Yu Zelin , Xu Boqing , Wang Ruibai 

TITLE=Stenotrophomonas tuberculopleuritidis sp. nov., a novel pathogenic Stenotrophomonas species isolated from tuberculous pleurisy patient

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1629703

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2025.1629703

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=IntroductionStenotrophomonas represents a group of bacteria that exhibit significant value in industrial and agricultural applications, while also posing pathogenic risks to humans. 704A1T was isolated from a patient with tuberculous pleurisy. Its 16S rRNA sequence showed the highest homology (99.72%) with a Stenotrophomonas strain without defined species classification. It is necessary to clarify the species 704A1T belonging to and its potential pathogenicity to humans.MethodsSystematical evaluations including phenotypic and biochemical characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, genomic sequencing were conducted. The pathogenicity and immunological characteristics were tested by intranasally inoculated C57BL/6J mice.Results704A1T is Gram negative rod-shaped bacterium with flagella at single extreme. Showing highly similar with S. maltophilia, 704A1T also displayed distinct characteristic peaks in fatty acid profiling and MALDI-TOF analysis. 704A1T was resistance to 21 antibiotics, including four anti-tuberculosis drugs: rifampicin, streptomycin, rifabutin, and cycloserine. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of 704A1T compared to defined Stenotrophomonas species ranged from 80.03% to 89.6%, below than both the commonly accepted 95%-96% ANI threshold for prokaryote species and the 95% threshold suggested for Stenotrophomonas. Though no mortality was observed, 704A1T could cause severe consolidation in murine lung tissue and has the ability of hematogenous dissemination.ConclusionResults supported the classification of 704A1T (=GDMCC 1.4133T) as a novel species within the genus Stenotrophomonas, for which the name Stenotrophomonas tuberculopleuritidis sp. nov. is proposed. 704A1T is a multi-antibiotic resistance strain with potentially stronger pathogenicity than S. maltophilia and requires more clinical attention. The isolation of 704A1T underscored the importance of sustained surveillance and taxonomic clarity of Stenotrophomonas species emerging from clinical environments.