Name: Propionibacterium propionicum corrig. (Buchanan and Pine 1962) Charfreitag et al. 1988

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: "Actinomyces propionicus" Buchanan and Pine 1962

Etymology: pro.pi.o’ni.cum. N.L. neut. n. acidum propionicum, propionic acid; L. neut. adj. suff. -icum, suffix used with the sense of pertaining to; N.L. neut. adj. propionicum, pertaining to propionic acid

Pronunciation, gender: pro-pi-O-ni-kum, neuter

Type strain: ATCC 14157; CCUG 4939; CIP 101941; DSM 43307; IFO 14587; JCM 5830; NBRC 14587; NCTC 12967; VKM Ac-1449

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AJ315953 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Charfreitag O, Collins MD, Stackebrandt E. Reclassification of Arachnia propionica as Propionibacterium propionicus comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1988; 38:354-357. 🇩🇪

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

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

Correct name: Arachnia propionica (Buchanan and Pine 1962) Pine and Georg 1969 (Approved Lists 1980)

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    "Actinomyces propionicus" Buchanan and Pine 1962	homotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    Propionibacterium propionicus (Buchanan and Pine 1962) Charfreitag et al. 1988	other spelling of name, inaccurate spelling
    Arachnia propionica (Buchanan and Pine 1962) Pine and Georg 1969 (Approved Lists 1980)	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Pseudopropionibacterium propionicum (Buchanan and Pine 1962) Scholz and Kilian 2016	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, illegitimate name

• Notes:
  • ❗ Propionibacterium propionicum 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 Propionibacterium.
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "human pathogen". — The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Animal classification RG: 2 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 2". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 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.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 31 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.
  • 🧍 According to Bartlett et al. (2022), this species is an established human pathogen. Publication: Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. Microbiology (Reading) 2022; 168:0. 🇬🇧
  • 🧍 The original spelling of the specific epithet, propionicus (sic), has been corrected by Moore and Moore 1992. Publication: Moore WEC, Moore LVH. Index of the bacterial and yeast nomenclatural changes published in the International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology since the 1980 Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (1 January 1980 to 1 January 1992). American Society for Microbiology, Washington, 1992. 🇺🇸

Parent taxon: Propionibacterium Orla-Jensen 1909 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Charfreitag O, Collins MD, Stackebrandt E. Reclassification of Arachnia propionica as Propionibacterium propionicus comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1988; 38:354-357. 🇩🇪

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Record number: 779833