Name: Spirochaeta Ehrenberg 1835 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Genus

Proposed as: gen. nov.

Etymology: Spi.ro.chae’ta. Gr. fem. n. speîra, a coil; Gr. fem. n. chaitê; N.L. fem. n. Spirochaeta, coiled hair

Gender, pronunciation: feminine (stem: Spirochaet-), spi-ro-K^HA͡E-ta

Type species: Spirochaeta plicatilis Ehrenberg 1835 (Approved Lists 1980)

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Ehrenberg CG. Dritter Beitrag zur Erkenntniss grosser Organisation in der Richtung des kleinsten Raumes. Abhandlungen der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Berlin) aus den Jahren 1833-1835 1835; 1833-1835:143-336.

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

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Winmispira Podosokorskaya et al. 2025	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Emendations:
  • Pikuta et al. 2009 Pikuta EV, Hoover RB, Bej AK, Marsic D, Whitman WB, Krader P. Spirochaeta dissipatitropha sp. nov., an alkaliphilic, obligately anaerobic bacterium, and emended description of the genus Spirochaeta Ehrenberg 1835. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2009; 59:1798-1804. Euzeby JP. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 59, part 7 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2009; 59:2381-2382.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 1 new species in the genus.
  • Miyazaki et al. 2014 Miyazaki M, Sakai S, Yamanaka Y, Saito Y, Takai K, Imachi H. Spirochaeta psychrophila sp. nov., a psychrophilic spirochaete isolated from subseafloor sediment, and emended description of the genus Spirochaeta. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:2798-2804. Oren A, Garrity GM. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 64, part 8 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:3607-3609.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 1 new species in the genus.
  • Shivani et al. 2015 Shivani Y, Subhash Y, Tushar L, Sasikala Ch, Ramana ChV. Spirochaeta lutea sp. nov., isolated from marine habitats and emended description of the genus Spirochaeta. Syst Appl Microbiol 2015; 38:110-114. Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 22. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:2028-2029.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 1 new species in the genus.

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the class Spirochaetia Paster 2020. Publication: Paster BJ. Class I. Spirochaetia class. nov. In: Krieg NR, Staley JT, Brown DR, Hedlund BP, Paster BJ, et al. (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. The Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Tenericutes (Mollicutes), Acidobacteria, Fibrobacteres, Fusobacteria, Dictyoglomi, Gemmatimonadetes, Lentisphaerae, Verrucomicrobia, Chlamydiae, and Planctomycetes, vol. 4, 2nd ed., Springer, New York, 2010, p. 471-563.
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Spirochaetaceae Swellengrebel 1907 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Swellengrebel NH. De L’Anaphylaxie en général. Annales de l'Institut Pasteur (Paris) 1907; 21:562-586.
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the order Spirochaetales Buchanan 1917 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Buchanan RE. Studies in the Nomenclature and Classification of the Bacteria: II. The Primary Subdivisions of the Schizomycetes. J Bacteriol 1917; 2:155-164.
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the phylum Spirochaetota Garrity and Holt 2021. Publication: Oren A, Garrity GM. Valid publication of the names of forty-two phyla of prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:5056.
  • 🧕 Buchanan (1917) assigned this genus to the order Spirochaetales Buchanan 1917 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Buchanan RE. Studies in the Nomenclature and Classification of the Bacteria: II. The Primary Subdivisions of the Schizomycetes. J Bacteriol 1917; 2:155-164.
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (1981) assigned this genus to the subkingdom "Eubacteria" Cavalier-Smith 1981. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. Eukaryote kingdoms: seven or nine? Biosystems 1981; 14:461-481.
  • 🧕 Krieg et al. (2010) assigned this genus to the class Spirochaetia Paster 2020. Publication: Paster BJ. Class I. Spirochaetia class. nov. In: Krieg NR, Staley JT, Brown DR, Hedlund BP, Paster BJ, et al. (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. The Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Tenericutes (Mollicutes), Acidobacteria, Fibrobacteres, Fusobacteria, Dictyoglomi, Gemmatimonadetes, Lentisphaerae, Verrucomicrobia, Chlamydiae, and Planctomycetes, vol. 4, 2nd ed., Springer, New York, 2010, p. 471-563.
  • 🧕 Oren and Garrity (2021) assigned this genus to the phylum Spirochaetota Garrity and Holt 2021. Publication: Oren A, Garrity GM. Valid publication of the names of forty-two phyla of prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:5056.
  • 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Bpirochaeta"; "Sirochaeta"; "Spfrochaeta"; "Spimchaem"; "Spimchaeta"; "Spimhaeta"; "Spirachaeaa"; "Spirachaem"; "Spirachaeta"; "Spirachaeza"; "Spircchaeta"; "Spiroahaeta"; "Spirocaeta"; "Spirocbaeta"; "Spirochaam"; "Spirochaata"; "Spirochacca"; "Spirochacla"; "Spirochacm"; "Spirochacta"; "Spirochae"; "Spirochaea"; "Spirochaeca"; "Spirochaela"; "Spirochaem"; "Spirochaetu"; "Spirochaew"; "Spirochaeza"; "Spirochaezra"; "Spirochama"; "Spirocharta"; "Spirochasta"; "Spirochata"; "Spirochatea"; "Spirochawa"; "Spirochcda"; "Spirochceta"; "Spirochcta"; "Spirocheata"; "Spirocheeta"; "Spirocheta"; "Spirochieta"; "Spirochmeta"; "Spirochmta"; "Spirochneta"; "Spirochoeta"; "Spirochraeta"; "Spirochreta"; "Spirochueta"; "Spirochveta"; "Spirochwta"; "Spirochxta"; "Spirocideta"; "Spirocimeta"; "Spirockaeta"; "Spirockceta"; "Spiroclmeta"; "Spiroclmeza"; "Spiroclueta"; "Spiroclweta"; "Spiroclzaeta"; "Spiroehaeta"; "Spiroehaeto"; "Spiroehceta"; "Spiroohaem"; "Spiroohaeta"; "Spirorhaeta"; "Spirrmhaeta"; "Spiruchaeta"; "Spiruchanm"; "Spiruchueta"; "Spirurhaeta"; "Spizochaeta"; "Splrochaeta"; "Spriochaeta"; "Sptrochaeta"; "Spzrochaeta".
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Marshall R. INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE TAXONOMY OF LEPTOSPIRA: Minutes of the meetings, 13 and 15 September 1990, Osaka, Japan. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1992; 42:330-334.
  • 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Dubinina et al. (2020), Sravanthi et al. (2016). 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: 25; ATCC: 20; JCM: 5; KCTC: 3; NBRC: 2; VKM: 1; BEI: 1; UNIQEM: 1.
  • 🧍 Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "SPCT" 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.
  • 🧍 Canale-Parola requested that Spirochaeta stenostrepta replace Spirochaeta plicatilis as the type species of the genus Spirochaeta, because no culture of Spirochaeta plicatilis exists. Rule 18a of the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision) does permit a description to serve in place of a type culture. Publication: Canale-Parola E. Proposal that Spirochaeta stenostrepta Zuelzer replace Spirochaeta plicatilis Ehrenberg as the type spcies of the genus Spirochaeta Ehrenberg. Request for an Opinion. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1981; 31:105-106.
  • 🧍 See also: Publication: Judicial C. Minutes of the meeting, 6 August 1982, Boston, Massachusetts. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1986; 36:577-578.
  • 🧍 See also: Publication: Jones D. JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY: Minutes of the Meeting, 5 September 1986, Manchester, United Kingdom. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1987; 37:85-87.
  • 🧍 Therefore the Judicial Commission voted to deny the action proposed. Publication: Wayne LG. Actions of the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology on requests for opinions published between July 1979 and April 1981. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1982; 32:464-465.

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 11
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 24
Total number of child taxa: 49

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    Spirochaeta africana Zhilina et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spirochaeta alkalica Zhilina et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta americana Hoover et al. 2003	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Spirochaeta anserina" Sakharoff 1891	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta asiatica Zhilina et al. 1996	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spirochaeta aurantia (ex Vinzent 1926) Canale-Parola 1980	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spirochaeta bajacaliforniensis Fracek and Stolz 2004	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Spirochaeta biflexa" Wolbach and Binger 1914	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta caldaria corrig. Pohlschröder et al. 1995	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta caldarium Pohlschröder et al. 1995	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    "Spirochaeta carteri" Hauduroy et al. 1953	not validly published	preferred name
    "Spirochaeta caucasica" Kandelaki 1945	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta cellobiosiphila Breznak and Warnecke 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spirochaeta coccoides Dröge et al. 2006	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Spirochaeta crocidurae" Leger 1917	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta dipodilli" Heisch 1950	not validly published	synonym
    Spirochaeta dissipatitropha Pikuta et al. 2009	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Spirochaeta dugesi" Mazzotti 1949	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta graingeri" Heisch 1953	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta halophila Greenberg and Canale-Parola 1977 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Spirochaeta harveyi" Garnham 1947	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta hermsi" Davis 1942	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta interrogans" Stimson 1907	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta isovalerica Harwood and Canale-Parola 1983	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Spirochaeta latyschewi" Sofiev 1941	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta litoralis (ex Hespell and Canale-Parola 1970) Canale-Parola 1980	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta lutea Shivani et al. 2015	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Spirochaeta microti" Rafyi 1946	not validly published	preferred name
    "Spirochaeta microti" Rafyi 1947	not validly published	synonym
    "Spirochaeta muris" Wenyon 1906	not validly published	preferred name
    Spirochaeta odontotermitis Sravanthi et al. 2015	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Spirochaeta pallida" Schaudinn and Hoffmann 1905	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta paraluiscuniculi" Jacobsthal 1920	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta parkeri" Davis 1942	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta perfilievii Dubinina et al. 2011	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Spirochaeta persica" Dschunkowsky 1913	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta pertenuis" Castellani 1905	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    "Spirochaeta phagedenis" Noguchi 1912	not validly published	preferred name
    Spirochaeta plicatilis Ehrenberg 1835 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spirochaeta psychrophila Miyazaki et al. 2014	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Spirochaeta sinaica Dubinina et al. 2015	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta smaragdinae Magot et al. 1998	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta sphaeroplastigenens Vishnuvardhan Reddy et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta stenostrepta corrig. Zuelzer 1912 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Spirochaeta stenostreptum Zuelzer 1912 (Approved Lists 1980)	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    "Spirochaeta theileri" Laveran 1903	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta thermophila Aksenova et al. 1992	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Spirochaeta turicatae" Brumpt 1933	not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists	synonym
    Spirochaeta zuelzerae (ex Veldkamp 1960) Canale-Parola 1980	validly published under the ICNP	synonym

Parent taxon: Spirochaetaceae Swellengrebel 1907 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Parker CD. Genus V. Thiobacillus Beijerinck 1904. In: Breed RS, Murray EGD, Smith NR (eds), Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th edition, The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1957, p. 83-88.

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Record number: 516636