Name: Borreliella yangtzensis (Margos et al. 2015) Gupta 2020

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: Borrelia yangtzensis Margos et al. 2015

Etymology: yangt.zen’sis. N.L. fem. adj. yangtzensis, referring to the Yangtze River valley in China, where these organisms were first isolated

Pronunciation, gender: yan͡gt-ZEN-sis, feminine

Type strain: DSM 24625; JCM 17189; Okinawa-CW62

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB529509 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Gupta RS. Distinction between Borrelia and Borreliella is more robustly supported by molecular and phenotypic characteristics than all other neighbouring prokaryotic genera: Response to Margos' et al. "The genus Borrelia reloaded" (PLoS ONE 13(12): e0208432). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221397.

IJSEM list: Oren A, Garrity GM. Validation list no. 191. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:1-5.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

Correct name: Borrelia yangtzensis Margos et al. 2015

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Borrelia yangtzensis Margos et al. 2015	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Notes:
  • 😢 The terminology used by the authors is in line with many other taxonomic studies and does not negatively affect their main results; some improvements may nevertheless be possible. Using the term "phylogenetic data" (or equivalent) for sequence data is not advocated. Whether taxa can have "members" is debatable. See the LPSN phylogeny page for details. Publication: Göker M. What can genome analysis offer for bacteria? In: Bridge P, Smith D, Stackebrandt E (eds), Trends in the systematics of bacteria and fungi, CAB International, Wallingford, 2021, p. 255-281.
  • ❗ Borreliella yangtzensis is the correct name instead if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Borreliella.
  • 😷 The taxon name shown here has no risk group assigned, but is the homotypic synonym of Borrelia yangtzensis Margos et al. 2015, which has a risk group (Germany) above 1. This may require that the name shown here is not treated as the correct name for practical purposes.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 0 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙅 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as a synonym of the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself.

Parent taxon: Borreliella Adeolu and Gupta 2015

Assigned by: Gupta RS. Distinction between Borrelia and Borreliella is more robustly supported by molecular and phenotypic characteristics than all other neighbouring prokaryotic genera: Response to Margos' et al. "The genus Borrelia reloaded" (PLoS ONE 13(12): e0208432). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221397.

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Record number: 5986