After the storm—Perspectives on the taxonomy of Lactobacillaceae
Nanzhen Qiao, Stijn Wittouck, Paola Mattarelli, Jinshui Zheng, Sarah Lebeer, Giovanna E. Felis, Michael G. Gänzle
Abstract
This communication aims to provide a "debrief" on the taxonomic reorganization of lactobacilli in 2020 and to outline perspectives and opportunities that are provided by the current taxonomy of the Lactobacillaceae. The new taxonomy of lactobacilli not only comes with the need to become familiar with 23 new genus names but also provides substantial new opportunities in scientific discovery and regulatory approval of these organisms. First, the description of new species in the Lactobacillaceae is facilitated and a solid framework for description of novel genera is provided. Second, the current taxonomy greatly enhances the resolution of genus-level sequencing approaches (e.g., 16S rRNA-based metagenomics) when identifying composition and function of microbial communities. Third, the current taxonomy greatly facilitates the formulation of hypotheses linking phylogeny to metabolism and ecology of lactobacilli.