Lactobacillus gasseri sp. nov., a new species of the subgenus Thermobacterium

A group of 7 strains thus far classified as Lactobacillus acidophilus is considered to form a new species which has been named Lactobacillus gasseri sp. nov. L. gasseri proved to be only distantly related to L. acidophilus as shown by DNA/DNA hybridisation, although it cannot be distinguished from L. acidophilus by classical phenotypical characteristics. However, L. gasseri was found to differ from L. acidophilus by the electrophoretic mobility of its L-LDH and by its cell wall composition.