The description is based on Iversen et al., Stephan et al., Joseph et al. [27], [30], [49], [50] and this study. Cells are straight rods, 0.9–1.0 μm × 1.5–3.0 μm, generally motile by peritrichous flagella. Gram negative. Facultatively anaerobic. Optimum temperature for growth is 37 °C. Colonies are yellow-pigmented, round, convex and smooth with entire margins when grown on TSA at 37 °C for 24 h. Negative for lysine decarboxylase and H2S production, and variable for Voges-Proskauer, arginine dihydrolase, ornithine decarboxylase. Generally negative for indole production. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite. Acid is produced from glucose, l-arabinose, d-mannitol, galacturonate, maltose and trehalose. N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, l-arabinose, d-cellobiose, d-galactose, d-fructose, gentiobiose, d-glucose, lactose, maltose, d-mannitol, d-mannose, d-melibiose, l-rhamnose, d-trehalose, d-gluconic acid and glycerol are oxidized (Biolog), whereas p-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid, itaconic acid, propionic acid, l-alaninamide, 2-aminoethanol and 2,3-butanediol are not. Reactions to tweens 40 and 80, N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, d-arabitol, m-inositol, d-raffinose, d-sorbitol, sucrose, turanose, succinic acid mono-methyl ester, cis-aconitic acid, d-saccharic acid, L-proline, d-serine, l-threonine, d-glucose-1-phosphate and d-glucose-6-phosphate are variable. Major fatty acids are C16:0, C18:1ω7c and summed features 2 (iso-C16:1 and/or C14:0 3-OH) and generally 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH), with C18:1ω7c representing more than 17% of the total amount. Members of the genus Cronobacter form a clade using MLSA based on concatenated partial gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD sequences.

Cronobacter species have been isolated from humans, clinical samples, milk and fruit powder and infant formula and the environment. Several species cause infections in neonates.

The type species is Cronobacter sakazakii (Farmer et al. 1980) Iversen et al. 2008.

The description is based on Grimont and Grimont (2005), Hoffmann et al. (2005), Zhu et al. (2011), Manter et al. (2011) [18], [19], [22], [23], [36], [56] and this study. Cells are straight rods, 0.6–1.2 μm × 1.2–3.0 μm, motile by peritrichous flagella. Gram negative. Facultatively anaerobic. Optimum temperature for growth is 30 °C, most clinical strains grow at 37 °C but some environmental strains give erratic biochemical reactions at 37 °C. Growth occurs readily on ordinary media and colonies are cream, round, convex and smooth with entire margins. The majority are positive for Voges-Proskauer, arginine dihydrolase and ornithine decarboxylase, and negative for indole, lysine decarboxylase and H2S production. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite. Glucose is fermented with production of acid and gas. N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, l-arabinose, d-cellobiose, d-galactose, maltose, d-mannitol, d-mannose, d-trehalose, cis-aconitic acid, d-gluconic acid, glycerol, α-d-glucose-1-phosphate, d-glucose-6-phosphate are used oxidized (Biolog), whereas itaconic acid, propionic acid, 2-aminoethanol and 2,3-butanediol are not. Reactions to tweens 40 and 80, N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, d-arabitol, d-fructose, gentiobiose, d-glucose, m-inositol, lactose, d-melibiose, d-raffinose, l-rhamnose, d-sorbitol, sucrose, turanose, succinic acid mono-methyl ester, p-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid, d-saccharic acid, l-alaninamide, l-proline, d-serine and l-threonine are variable. Major fatty acids are C16:0, C18:1ω7c, C17:0 cyclo and summed feature 2 (iso-C16:1 and/or C14:0 3-OH). The fatty acids C13:0 and summed feature 1 (C15:1 iso H and/or C13:0 3-OH) are generally present in low amounts (minimum 1.4 and 1.6% of the total amount, respectively). Members of the genus Enterobacter form a clade using MLSA based on concatenated partial gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD sequences.

Enterobacter species are widely distributed in nature and have been isolated from humans, animals, clinical samples, plants and the natural environment.

The type species is Enterobacter cloacae (Jordan 1890) Hormaeche and Edwards 1960.

The description is based on Inoue et al. (2000), Kämpfer et al. (2005), Peng et al. (2009), Madhaiyan et al. (2010) [26], [31], [35], [42] and this study. Cells are straight rods, 0.5–1.2 μm × 1.0–3.5 μm, motile by peritrichous flagella. Gram negative. Facultatively anaerobic. Optimum temperature for growth is 28–30 °C, but grows at 40 °C. Colonies are white to beige, round, convex and smooth with entire margins on tryptone soya agar. Some strains of Kosakonia cowanii may be yellow-pigmented. Positive for Voges-Proskauer. Generally positive for arginine dihydrolase and negative for lysine decarboxylase. Negative for gelatinase and indole. Reaction to ornithine decarboxylase is variable. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite. Glucose is fermented with production of acid and gas. Tweens 40 and 80, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, l-arabinose, d-cellobiose, d-fructose, d-galactose, gentiobiose, d-glucose, lactose, maltose, d-mannitol, d-mannose, l-rhamnose, d-sorbitol, sucrose, d-trehalose, succinic acid mono-methyl ester, cis-aconitic acid, d-gluconic acid, d-saccharic acid, glycerol, α-d-glucose-1-phosphate, d-glucose-6-phosphate are oxidized (Biolog), whereas p-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid, itaconic acid, propionic acid, l-threonine, 2-aminoethanol and 2,3-butanediol are not. Reactions to N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, d-arabitol, m-inositol, d-melibiose, d-raffinose, turanose, l-alaninamide, l-proline and d-serine are variable. Major fatty acids are C16:0 and C18:1ω7c. C17:0 cyclo and summed features 2 (iso-C16:1 and/or C14:0 3-OH) and 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH) can also be present in high amounts. Members of the genus Kosakonia form a clade using MLSA based on concatenated partial gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD sequences.

Kosakonia species are isolated from clinical samples and environmental sources including soil and trees. Several species promote plant growth by fixing nitrogen

The type species is Kosakonia cowanii Inoue, Sugiyama, Kosako, Sakazaki and Yamai (2000).

The description of this taxon is the same as that given previously [26].

The type strain is 888-76T (=LMG 23569T = JCM 10956T).

The description of this taxon is the same as that given previously

The type strain is CUETM 77-118T (=LMG 2784T = ATCC 33072T).

The description is based on Grimont and Grimont (2005), Izard et al. (1981), Brenner et al. (1986) and this study. Cells are straight rods, 0.6–1.0 μm × 1.5–3.0 μm, motile by peritrichous flagella. Gram negative. Facultatively anaerobic. Optimum temperature for growth is 30 °C, grows at 37 °C but not at 41 °C. Colonies are unpigmented, round, convex and smooth with entire margins on tryptone soya agar. Positive for Voges-Proskauer and ornithine decarboxylase, but negative for lysine decarboxylase, gelatinase, indole and H2S production. Variable for arginine dihydrolase. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite. Glucose is fermented with production of acid and gas. N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, l-arabinose, d-cellobiose, d-fructose, d-galactose, gentiobiose, d-glucose, lactose, maltose, d-mannitol, d-mannose, d-melibiose, d-raffinose, l-rhamnose, d-trehalose, d-gluconic acid, d-saccharic acid, glycerol, α-d-glucose-1-phosphate, d-glucose-6-phosphate are oxidized (Biolog), whereas tweens 40 and 80, d-arabitol, m-inositol, cis-aconitic acid, p-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid, itaconic acid, propionic acid, l-alaninamide, l-proline, l-threonine, 2-aminoethanol and 2,3-butanediol are not. Reactions to d-sorbitol, sucrose, turanose, succinic acid mono-methyl ester and d-serine are variable. Major fatty acids are C16:0, C18:1ω7c, C17:0 cyclo and summed features 2 (iso-C16:1 and/or C14:0 3-OH) and 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH), with C17:0 cyclo and summed feature 3 representing more than 30% of the total amount. Members of the genus Lelliottia form a clade using MLSA based on concatenated partial gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD sequences. G + C contents range from 54.0 to 55.0 mol%.

Lelliottia species are isolated from elm trees exhibiting symptoms of “wetwood” disease, water and rarely from clinical samples.

The type species is Lelliottia nimipressuralis (Carter 1945) Brenner, McWhorter, Kai, Steigerwalt and Farmer (1986).

The description of this taxon is the same as that given previously [7].

The type strain is LMG 10245T (=ATCC 9912T).

The description is based on Grimont and Grimont (2005), Brenner et al. (1980), Chung et al. (1993) [6], [8], [18], [19] and this study. Cells are straight rods, 0.6–1.0 μm × 1.5–2.5 μm, motile by peritrichous flagella. Gram negative. Facultatively anaerobic. Optimum temperature for growth is 30 °C, but grows at 36 °C. Colonies are unpigmented, round, convex and smooth with entire margins on tryptone soya agar. Positive for Voges-Proskauer and ornithine decarboxylase, but negative for arginine dihydrolase, gelatinase and indole. Generally positive for lysine decarboxylase. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite. Glucose is fermented with production of acid and gas. N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, l-arabinose, d-arabitol, d-cellobiose, d-fructose, d-galactose, gentiobiose, d-glucose, maltose, d-mannitol, d-mannose, l-rhamnose, sucrose, d-trehalose, succinic acid mono-methyl ester, d-gluconic acid, l-proline, glycerol, α-d-glucose-1-phosphate, d-glucose-6-phosphate are oxidized (Biolog), whereas lactose, itaconic acid, d-serine, 2-aminoethanol and 2,3-butanediol are not. Reactions to tweens 40 and 80, m-inositol, d-melibiose, d-raffinose, d-sorbitol, turanose, cis-aconitic acid, p-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid, propionic acid, d-saccharic acid, l-alaninamide and l-threonine are variable. Major fatty acids are C16:0, C18:1ω7c and C17:0 cyclo with C16:0 representing more than 30% of the total amount. Members of the genus Pluralibacter form a clade using MLSA based on concatenated partial gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD sequences. G + C contents range from 57.0 to 60.0 mol%.

Pluralibacter species are isolated from environmental sources, clinical samples and from brown leaf spots on pear trees.

The type species is Pluralibacter gergoviae Brenner, Richard, Steigerwalt, Asbury and Mandel (1980).

The description of this taxon is the same as that given previously

The type strain is CIP 76.01T (=LMG 5739T = ATCC 33028T).

The description of this taxon is the same as that given previously [8].

The type strain is KCTC 2520T (=LMG 22970T = ATCC 49851T).