Name: Sinorhizobium meliloti (Dangeard 1926) De Lajudie et al. 1994

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: Rhizobium meliloti Dangeard 1926 (Approved Lists 1980)

Etymology: me.li.lo’ti. N.L. masc. n. Melilotus, generic name of sweet clover; N.L. gen. masc. n. meliloti, of Melilotus

Gender: neuter

Type strain: ATCC 9930; CCUG 27879; CFBP 5561; DSM 30135; HAMBI 2148; ICMP 12623; IFO 14782; JCM 20682; LMG 6133; NBRC 14782; NCAIM B.01520; NRRL L-45; NZP 4027; USDA 1002

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: D14509 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: De Lajudie P, Willems A, Pot B, Dewettinck D, Maestrojuan G, Neyra M, Collins MD, Dreyfus B, Kersters K, Gillis M. Polyphasic taxonomy of rhizobia: emendation of the genus Sinorhizobium and description of Sinorhizobium meliloti comb. nov., Sinorhizobium saheli sp. nov., and Sinorhizobium teranga sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1994; 44:715-733.

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 44, part 4 of the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1995; 45:199-200.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

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

Correct name: Ensifer meliloti (Dangeard 1926) Young 2003

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Rhizobium meliloti Dangeard 1926 (Approved Lists 1980)	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Ensifer meliloti (Dangeard 1926) Young 2003	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Ensifer kummerowiae (Wei et al. 2002) Young 2003	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Sinorhizobium kummerowiae Wei et al. 2002	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Notes:
  • ⏰ According to Menendez et al. (2024), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Ensifer kummerowiae (Wei et al. 2002) Young 2003. Publication: Menendez E, Flores-Felix JD, Kaur S, diCenzo GC, Young JPW, Peix A, Velazquez E. Reclassification of type strains of Rhizobium indigoferae and Sinorhizobium kummerowiae into the species Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti, respectively. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6451.
  • ⏰ According to Menendez et al. (2024), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Sinorhizobium kummerowiae Wei et al. 2002. Publication: Menendez E, Flores-Felix JD, Kaur S, diCenzo GC, Young JPW, Peix A, Velazquez E. Reclassification of type strains of Rhizobium indigoferae and Sinorhizobium kummerowiae into the species Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti, respectively. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6451.
  • 🏢 Synonymy of this taxon was mentioned in an IJSEM list. Publication: Oren A, Göker M. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 74, part 7 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6494.
  • 📧 The e-mail address of the corresponding author given in the effective publication is not functional any more.
  • ❗ Sinorhizobium meliloti 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 Sinorhizobium.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — 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 1826 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 other species in the genus.

Parent taxon: Sinorhizobium Chen et al. 1988

Assigned by: De Lajudie P, Willems A, Pot B, Dewettinck D, Maestrojuan G, Neyra M, Collins MD, Dreyfus B, Kersters K, Gillis M. Polyphasic taxonomy of rhizobia: emendation of the genus Sinorhizobium and description of Sinorhizobium meliloti comb. nov., Sinorhizobium saheli sp. nov., and Sinorhizobium teranga sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1994; 44:715-733.

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Record number: 780939