CECT 5177, which most likely belong to the A. piscicola species. Multilocus sequence-based phylogeny supported recent taxonomic changes in the genus Aeromonas. First, several recently characterized species were clearly individualized in the 7 gene-based phylogenetic trees, such as A. taiwanensis A. sanarellii and A. fluvialis[49, 50]. The proposal of A. diversa, including Aeromonas sp. HG13, click here referred to as Aeromonas group 501, as a distinct species from A. schubertii was supported in the MLPA by the clearly individualized phylogenetic positions observed for these two species [51]. Moreover, several taxonomic reappraisals were confirmed by our approach, as observed and discussed in the MLPA

study by Martinez-Murcia et al. [16, 52]. In addition, evidence previously suggesting that A. hydrophila subsp. anaerogenes and A. caviae are conspecific was confirmed here by the A. hydrophila subsp. anaerogenes strain CECT 4221 that was found to belong to the A. caviae clade [53]. All of these observations showed that the MLSA scheme appeared to be a strongly informative tool

that should be included within the methods used for polyphasic taxonomic analysis in the genus Aeromonas. Thus, this MLSA scheme may provide additional arguments regarding controversial issues recently reviewed by Janda & Abbott [1]. A. ichthiosmia, which is considered to be a later synonym of A. veronii[42], clearly grouped in the A. Sepantronium mouse veronii clade. A. encheleia showed a low level of genetic divergence Farnesyltransferase at the 7 loci and

grouped in a tight and robust clade with HG11, providing additional arguments for their unification. A. allosaccharophila, whose existence is still controversial, occupies a robust position that is closely related, but external to the A. veronii clade, in favor of the separation of the two taxa. However, the taxonomic level of the new taxon, if proposed, still has to be defined due to conflicting DNA-DNA hybridization values compared to the A. veronii type strain according to the study considered [42, 54]. Finally, the A. caviae type strain occupies a position external to those of other members of the A. caviae clade in the buy Tipifarnib MLPA-based tree. This observation warrants further investigation due to the taxonomic value of the MLSA scheme demonstrated here. Of note, only 2 genes (gyrB and rpoB) from A. sharmana, a species that was shown not to belong to the genus Aeromonas and is awaiting reassignment, could be amplified using the primers employed in this study [55, 56]. Conclusions Evolution in the genus Aeromonas has involved the combined effects of mutations and recombination events, resulting in an exceptionally high genetic diversity. We propose a hypothetical mode of evolution in aeromonads based on global organization into a complex of species, with local emergence of more specialized clones. This specialization in process is suggested by the co-existence of i) specialized species sensu stricto, such as A.