Name: Leifsonia rubra Reddy et al. 2003

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: ru’bra. L. fem. adj. rubra, reddish, referring to the reddish pigment that the bacterium produces

Pronunciation, gender: RU-bra, feminine

Type strain: CIP 107783; CMS 76r; DSM 15304; DSM 21193; JCM 12471; MTCC 4210

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AJ438585 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Reddy GS, Prakash JS, Srinivas R, Matsumoto GI, Shivaji S. Leifsonia rubra sp. nov. and Leifsonia aurea sp. nov., psychrophiles from a pond in Antarctica. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2003; 53:977-984.

IJSEM list: Euzeby JP. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 53, part 4 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2003; 53:1703-1705.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Salinibacterium rubrum (Reddy et al. 2003) Gtari et al. 2025	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Emendations:
  • Nouioui et al. 2018 Nouioui I, Carro L, Garcia-Lopez M, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Woyke T, Kyrpides NC, Pukall R, Klenk HP, Goodfellow M, Goker M. Genome-Based Taxonomic Classification of the Phylum Actinobacteria. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2007. Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 29. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:13-32.

• Notes:
  • 🧬 The phylogenomic assignment score of this taxon is -0.28870 (N = 53).
  • 😷 The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — 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.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 5 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙆 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of other species in the genus.
  • 🧍 According to Ludwig et al. (2021), this "species affiliates away from the type species of the genus, and should be reclassified as Rhodoglobus". Publication: Ludwig W, Viver T, Westram R, Francisco Gago J, Bustos-Caparros E, Knittel K, Amann R, Rossello-Mora R. Release LTP_12_2020, featuring a new ARB alignment and improved 16S rRNA tree for prokaryotic type strains. Syst Appl Microbiol 2021; 44:126218.
  • 🧍 See also BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection. Publication: Euzeby JP. List of Bacterial Names with Standing in Nomenclature: a folder available on the Internet. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1997; 47:590-592.
  • 🧍 According to An and Yokota, the type strain of Leifsonia rubra does not exist in any established culture collection or with the authors who described this species. Therefore, it cannot be included in any scientific study. The authors propose that the Judicial Commission places the name Leifsonia rubra on the list of rejected names if a suitable type strain is not found or a neotype is not proposed within two years following the publication of this Request for an Opinion. Opinion 96 did not reject the name but urged that alternative type-strain deposits are established. Publication: An SY, Yokota A. The status of the species Leifsonia rubra Reddy et al. 2003. Request for an opinion. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 57:1163.
  • 🧍 After the Request for an Opinion by An and Yokota, the original authors deposited the type strain in the BCCM/LMG culture collection (LMG accession number 24410) [1, 2]. According to the LMG, the strain LMG 24410 is authentic [2]. The culture, whose authenticity was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing by the JCM, was also deposited in JCM as JCM 15064 [3]. — Kämpfer P. Personal communication, 2010-03-17.

Parent taxon: Leifsonia Evtushenko et al. 2000

Assigned by: Reddy GS, Prakash JS, Srinivas R, Matsumoto GI, Shivaji S. Leifsonia rubra sp. nov. and Leifsonia aurea sp. nov., psychrophiles from a pond in Antarctica. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2003; 53:977-984.

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Record number: 777464