Name: Rhodococcus rubropertinctus (Hefferan 1904) Tsukamura 1974 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: "Bacillus rubropertinctus" Hefferan 1904

Etymology: ru.bro.per.tinc’tus. L. adj. ruber -bra -brum, red; L. prep. per, very; L. masc. perf. part. tinctus, dyed, colored; N.L. masc. adj. rubropertinctus, heavily dyed red

Pronunciation, gender: ru-bro-per-TINK-tus, masculine

Type strain: ATCC 14352; CCUG 34957; CIP 104661; DSM 43197; JCM 3204; LMG 5367; N4; NBRC 101908; NCIB 9664; NCIMB 9664; VKM Ac-1016

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: X80632 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Tsukamura M. A further numerical taxonomic study of the rhodochrous group. Jpn J Microbiol 1974; 18:37-44.

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: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

Correct name: Gordonia rubripertincta corrig. (Hefferan 1904) Stackebrandt et al. 1989

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Rhodococcus corallinus (Bergey et al. 1923) Goodfellow and Alderson 1977 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Gordonia rubripertincta corrig. (Hefferan 1904) Stackebrandt et al. 1989	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Gordona rubripertincta (Hefferan 1904) Stackebrandt et al. 1989	homotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling
    Gordona rubropertinctus (Hefferan 1904) Stackebrandt et al. 1989	homotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling
    "Serratia corallina" Bergey et al. 1923	heterotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    "Bacillus rubropertinctus" Hefferan 1904	homotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    Gordonia rubropertinctus (Hefferan 1904) Stackebrandt et al. 1989	homotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling
    "Gordona rubra" Tsukamura 1971	heterotypic synonym, not validly published

• Emendations:
  • Mordarski et al. 1980 Mordarski M, Goodfellow M, Kaszen I, Tkacz A, Pulverer G, Schaal KP. Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation in the classification of the genus Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 (Approved Lists, 1980). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1980; 30:521-527.
    Notes:
    • 🫂 Emendation accompanied by a proposal regarding the synonymy of the species.

• Notes:
  • ⏰ According to Mordarski et al. (1980), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of "Serratia corallina" Bergey et al. 1923. Publication: Mordarski M, Goodfellow M, Kaszen I, Tkacz A, Pulverer G, Schaal KP. Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation in the classification of the genus Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 (Approved Lists, 1980). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1980; 30:521-527.
  • ⏰ According to Mordarski et al. (1980), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Rhodococcus corallinus (Bergey et al. 1923) Goodfellow and Alderson 1977 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Mordarski M, Goodfellow M, Kaszen I, Tkacz A, Pulverer G, Schaal KP. Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation in the classification of the genus Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 (Approved Lists, 1980). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1980; 30:521-527.
  • ⏰ According to Mordarski et al. (1980), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of "Gordona rubra" Tsukamura 1971. Publication: Mordarski M, Goodfellow M, Kaszen I, Tkacz A, Pulverer G, Schaal KP. Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation in the classification of the genus Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 (Approved Lists, 1980). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1980; 30:521-527.
  • 😩 Deposit incorrectly indicated in some sources as representing the type strain of this taxon: NCIMB 40816.
  • ❗ Rhodococcus rubropertinctus 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 Rhodococcus.
  • 😷 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 11 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 pathogenicity of the species itself.
  • 🧍 The specific epithet rubropertinctus (sic) has been corrected in the new combination Gordonia rubripertincta [see, Gordonia rubripertincta corrig. (Hefferan 1904) Stackebrandt et al. 1989, comb. nov.]. However the name "Rhodococcus rubripertinctus" corrig. has never been formally proposed before December 14, 2000 (date of publication of the amended Rule 61; see Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 2000, 50, page 2239, column 2). Consequently, in the "List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature", the epithet rubropertinctus (sic) has been maintained for Rhodococcus rubropertinctus. Publication: Stackebrandt E, Smida J, Collins MD. Evidence of phylogenetic heterogeneity within the genus Rhodococcus: revival of the genus Gordona (Tsukamura). J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 1988; 34:341-348.
  • 🧍 On the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names, this nomenclatural name is incorrectly cited as Rhodococcus rubropertinctus (Hefferan 1904) Goodfellow and Alderson 1979 (sic). Publication: Hill LR, Skerman VBD, Sneath PHA. Corrigenda to the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names edited for the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1984; 34:508-511.

Parent taxon: Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Tsukamura M. A further numerical taxonomic study of the rhodochrous group. Jpn J Microbiol 1974; 18:37-44.

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Record number: 780472