ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Ecol. Evol.
Sec. Phylogenetics, Phylogenomics, and Systematics
Comparative genome analysis using whole genome sequences suggests ongoing speciation between Priestia aryabhattai and Priestia megaterium
Provisionally accepted
Sam Spence*
Akira UchidaNgu War AungJustine G.A. Dacanay
Serene Boon-Yuean LimDaniela I. Drautz-MosesStephan C. Schuster
Hie Lim Kim*- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Priestia megaterium and P. aryabhattai are closely related bacteria of industrial relevance whose species status has been debated. To clarify their relationship, we analysed 190 publicly available genomes including 12 new high-quality assemblies. Whole-genome phylogenies consistently resolved two monophyletic clades corresponding to the named taxa. Mean digital DNA–DNA hybridization between the clades was 64%, supporting separation at the species level, whereas the mean average nucleotide identity was 95.2%, indicative of an ambiguous boundary-range. Several newly isolated strains showed recombinant genomic signatures, suggesting gene flow during an ongoing speciation. Metagenomic surveys indicated distinct ecological patterns, with differences in abundance across tropical and temperate regions. Using complete assemblies, we identified species-specific loci and designed PCR primers capable of discriminating the two taxa. Our results support the taxonomic classification of P. megaterium and P. aryabhattai as distinct species and provide novel molecular markers to facilitate ecological, industrial, and diagnostic studies.
Keywords: bacteria species identification, Comparative genomics, fuzzy species, Metagenomics, phylogenetics, Priestia aryabhattai, Priestia megaterium
Received: 29 Dec 2025; Accepted: 10 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Spence, Uchida, Aung, Dacanay, Lim, Drautz-Moses, Schuster and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Sam Spence
Hie Lim Kim
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