Name: Methylobacterium Patt et al. 1976 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Genus

Proposed as: gen. nov.

Etymology: Me.thy.lo.bac.te’ri.um. N.L. neut. n. methylum, the methyl radical; from French masc. n. méthyle; from French masc. n. méthylène; from Gr. neut. n. methy, wine; from Gr. fem. n. hylê, wood; N.L. neut. n. methyl, pertaining to the methyl radical; N.L. neut. n. bacterium, rod or staff and, in biology, a bacterium (so called because the first ones observed were rod-shaped); N.L. neut. n. Methylobacterium, methyl bacterium

Gender, pronunciation: neuter (stem: Methylobacteri-), me-t^hy-lo-bak-TE-ri-um

Type species: Methylobacterium organophilum Patt et al. 1976 (Approved Lists 1980)

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Patt TE, Cole GC, Hanson RS. Methylobacterium, a new genus of facultatively methylotrophic bacteria. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1976; 26:226-229.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 2

• Emendations:
  • Green and Bousfield 1983 Green PN, Bousfield IJ. Emendation of Methylobacterium Patt, Cole, and Hanson 1976; Methylobacterium rhodinum (Heumann 1962) comb. nov. corrig.; Methylobacterium radiotolerans (Ito and Iizuka 1971) comb. nov., corrig.; and Methylobacterium mesophilicum (Austin and Goodfellow 1979) comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1983; 33:875-877.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 3 new species in the genus.
  • Alessa et al. 2021 Alessa O, Ogura Y, Fujitani Y, Takami H, Hayashi T, Sahin N, Tani A. Comprehensive Comparative Genomics and Phenotyping of Methylobacterium Species. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:740610. Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 36. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5413.

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Methylobacteriaceae Garrity et al. 2006. Publication: Garrity GM, Bell JA, Lilburn T. Family IX. Methylobacteriaceae fam. nov. In: Brenner DJ, Krieg NR, Staley JT, Garrity GM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edn, vol. 2 (The Proteobacteria), part C (The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria), Springer, New York, 2005, p. 567.
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (2002) assigned this genus to the class Alphabacteria Cavalier-Smith 2002. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. The neomuran origin of archaebacteria, the negibacterial root of the universal tree and bacterial megaclassification. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:7-76.
  • 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Mcthylobacterium"; "Mehylobacterium"; "Methlyobacterium"; "Methyiobacterium"; "Methyloacterium"; "Methylobaclerium"; "Methylobacrerium"; "Methylobactcrium"; "Methylobactemum"; "Methylobacterrum"; "Methylobaeterium"; "Methytobacterium"; "Metnylobactemum"; "Metnylobacterium"; "Metylobacterium"; "Ylobacterium".
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: de Lajudie P, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria Minutes of the closed meeting by videoconference, 17 July 2019. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:3563-3571.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria. Minutes of the closed annual meeting: videoconference on 11 October 2022 followed by online discussion until 31 December 2022. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:5856.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes, Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria, minutes of the annual meeting by videoconference, 5 July 2021, followed by online discussion until 31 December 2021. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5453.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria: Minutes of the closed annual meeting, videoconference on 2 October 2023, followed by online discussion until 31 December 2023. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6276.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria: minutes of the 2024 closed annual meeting. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2025; 75:6680.
  • 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Tani and Sahin (2013), Madhaiyan et al. (2009), Anesti et al. (2004), Park et al. (2018), Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali (2014). Editors in search of reviewers are advised to consider additional criteria such as whether a taxon is covered by one of the ICSP subcommittees.
  • 🎰 The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: DSM: 44; NBRC: 29; JCM: 23; NCIMB: 18; KCTC: 16; LMG: 16; ATCC: 15; VKM: 15; CIP: 13; IFO: 11.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 2". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🧍 Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "MLBT" for this genus name but this does not appear to be of practical relevance any longer. Publication: Pittman KF, Walczak CA, Lock CM. Codes and abbreviations for approved of effectively published names of genera of bacteria published from January 1980 to December 1990. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1991; 41:571-579.

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 58
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 71
Total number of child taxa: 79

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    Methylobacterium adhaesivum Gallego et al. 2006	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium aerolatum Weon et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium ajmalii Bijlani et al. 2021	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium alsaeris Yoon et al. 2025	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium aminovorans Urakami et al. 1993	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium amylolyticum Zhang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium aquaticum Gallego et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium brachiatum Kato et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium brachythecii Tani and Sahin 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium bullatum Hoppe et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium carpenticola Yoon et al. 2025	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium cerastii Wellner et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium chloromethanicum McDonald et al. 2001	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium crusticola Jia et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium currus Park et al. 2018	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium dankookense Lee et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium dichloromethanicum Doronina et al. 2000	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium durans Kim et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium extorquens (Urakami and Komagata 1984 ex Bassalik 1913) Bousfield and Green 1985	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Methylobacterium flocculans" Gao et al. 2024	not validly published	preferred name
    Methylobacterium frigidaeris Lee and Jeon 2018	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium fujisawaense Green et al. 1988	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Methylobacterium funariae" Schauer and Kutschera 2011	not validly published	preferred name
    Methylobacterium gnaphalii Tani et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium goesingense Idris et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium gossipiicola Madhaiyan et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium gregans Kato et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium guangdongense Gao et al. 2025	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium haplocladii Tani and Sahin 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium hispanicum Gallego et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Methylobacterium indicum" Chaudhry et al. 2016	not validly published	preferred name
    Methylobacterium iners Weon et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium isbiliense Gallego et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium jeotgali Aslam et al. 2007	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium komagatae Kato et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium ligniniphilum Zhang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium litchii Gao et al. 2025	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium longum Knief et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium lusitanum Doronina et al. 2002	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium marchantiae Schauer et al. 2011	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium mesophilicum (Austin and Goodfellow 1979) Green and Bousfield 1983	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium nigriterrae Chen et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium nodulans Jourand et al. 2004	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium nonmethylotrophicum Feng et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium organophilum Patt et al. 1976 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium oryzae Madhaiyan et al. 2007	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium oryzihabitans Chen et al. 2019	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium oryzisoli Liu et al. 2025	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium oxalidis Tani et al. 2012	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium persicinum Kato et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium phyllosphaerae Madhaiyan et al. 2009	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium phyllostachyos Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2014	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium planeticum corrig. Jiang et al. 2023	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium planium Jiang et al. 2023	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Methylobacterium platani Kang et al. 2007	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium podarium Anesti et al. 2006	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium populi Van Aken et al. 2004	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium pseudosasae Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2016	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium pseudosasicola Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2014	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Methylobacterium radiodurans" Maeng et al. 2021	not validly published	preferred name
    Methylobacterium radiora (Ito and Iizuka 1971) Green and Bousfield 1983	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Methylobacterium radiotolerans corrig. (Ito and Iizuka 1971) Green and Bousfield 1983	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium rhodesianum Green et al. 1988	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium rhodinum corrig. (Heumann 1962) Green and Bousfield 1983	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium rhodos (Heumann 1962) Green and Bousfield 1983	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Methylobacterium salsuginis Wang et al. 2007	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium segetis Ten et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium soli Cao et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium suomiense Doronina et al. 2002	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium symbioticum Pascual et al. 2021	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium tardum Kato et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium tarhaniae Veyisoglu et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Methylobacterium terrae" Kim et al. 2019	not validly published	preferred name
    Methylobacterium terricola Kim et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium thiocyanatum Wood et al. 1999	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methylobacterium thuringiense Wellner et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium trifolii Wellner et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium variabile Gallego et al. 2005	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methylobacterium zatmanii Green et al. 1988	validly published under the ICNP	synonym

Parent taxon: Methylobacteriaceae Garrity et al. 2006

Assigned by: Garrity GM, Bell JA, Lilburn T. Family IX. Methylobacteriaceae fam. nov. In: Brenner DJ, Krieg NR, Staley JT, Garrity GM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edn, vol. 2 (The Proteobacteria), part C (The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria), Springer, New York, 2005, p. 567.

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Record number: 516060