Name: Methanobrevibacter cuticularis Leadbetter and Breznak 1997

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: cu.ti.cu.la’ris. L. fem. dim. n. cuticula, a thin skin; N.L. masc. adj. cuticularis, referring to the cuticular surface of the termite hindgut epithelium which is colonized by this organism

Gender: masculine

Type strain: DSM 11139; RFM-1

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: U41095 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Leadbetter JR, Breznak JA. Physiological ecology of Methanobrevibacter cuticularis sp. nov. and Methanobrevibacter curvatus sp. nov., isolated from the hindgut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Appl Environ Microbiol 1996; 62:3620-3631. 🇺🇸

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 61. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1997; 47:601-602.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

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

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    "Methanobaculum cuticularis" (Leadbetter and Breznak 1997) Protasov and Brune 2023	homotypic synonym, not validly published

• Notes:
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — 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 4 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.

Parent taxon: Methanobrevibacter Balch and Wolfe 1981

Assigned by: Leadbetter JR, Breznak JA. Physiological ecology of Methanobrevibacter cuticularis sp. nov. and Methanobrevibacter curvatus sp. nov., isolated from the hindgut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Appl Environ Microbiol 1996; 62:3620-3631. 🇺🇸

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Record number: 777820