Name: Moorella thermoacetica (Fontaine et al. 1942) Collins et al. 1994

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: Clostridium thermaceticum corrig. Fontaine et al. 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)

Etymology: ther.mo.a.ce’ti.ca. Gr. masc. adj. thermos, hot; N.L. fem. adj. acetica, pertaining to vinegar; N.L. fem. adj. thermoacetica, producing acetic acid thermophilically

Pronunciation, gender: t^her-mo-a-KE-ti-ka, feminine

Type strain: ATCC 35608; DSM 2955; DSM 521; JCM 9319

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB572912 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Collins MD, Lawson PA, Willems A, Cordoba JJ, Fernandez-Garayzabal J, Garcia P, Cai J, Hippe H, Farrow JA. The phylogeny of the genus Clostridium: proposal of five new genera and eleven new species combinations. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1994; 44:812-826.

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, illegitimate name

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

Correct name: Neomoorella thermoacetica (Fontaine et al. 1942) Gtari and Ventura 2025

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Clostridium thermautotrophicum corrig. Wiegel et al. 1982	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, rejected name
    Clostridium thermoaceticum Fontaine et al. 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Moorella thermoautotrophica (Wiegel et al. 1982) Collins et al. 1994	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, rejected name
    Neomoorella thermoacetica (Fontaine et al. 1942) Gtari and Ventura 2025	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Clostridium thermoautotrophicum Wiegel et al. 1982	heterotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling and rejected
    Clostridium thermaceticum corrig. Fontaine et al. 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, illegitimate correction

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Moorella Collins et al. 1994. Publication: Collins MD, Lawson PA, Willems A, Cordoba JJ, Fernandez-Garayzabal J, Garcia P, Cai J, Hippe H, Farrow JA. The phylogeny of the genus Clostridium: proposal of five new genera and eleven new species combinations. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1994; 44:812-826.
  • ⏰ According to Redl et al. (2020), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Clostridium thermautotrophicum corrig. Wiegel et al. 1982. Publication: Redl S, Poehlein A, Esser C, Bengelsdorf FR, et al. Genome-Based comparison of all species of the genus Moorella, and status of the species Moorella thermoacetica and Moorella thermoautotrophica. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3070.
  • ⏰ According to Redl et al. (2020), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Moorella thermoautotrophica (Wiegel et al. 1982) Collins et al. 1994. Publication: Redl S, Poehlein A, Esser C, Bengelsdorf FR, et al. Genome-Based comparison of all species of the genus Moorella, and status of the species Moorella thermoacetica and Moorella thermoautotrophica. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3070.
  • ⏰ According to Redl et al. (2020), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Clostridium thermoautotrophicum Wiegel et al. 1982. Publication: Redl S, Poehlein A, Esser C, Bengelsdorf FR, et al. Genome-Based comparison of all species of the genus Moorella, and status of the species Moorella thermoacetica and Moorella thermoautotrophica. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3070.
  • 🏢 Synonymy of this taxon was mentioned in an IJSEM list. Publication: Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 32. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:4061-4090.
  • 😷 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 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 167 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 genus.

Parent taxon: Moorella Collins et al. 1994

Assigned by: Collins MD, Lawson PA, Willems A, Cordoba JJ, Fernandez-Garayzabal J, Garcia P, Cai J, Hippe H, Farrow JA. The phylogeny of the genus Clostridium: proposal of five new genera and eleven new species combinations. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1994; 44:812-826.

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Record number: 778305