Bifidobacterium globosum is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming species of bacterium in the family Bifidobacteriaceae. It was first isolated from the rumen of cattle and is associated with the gastrointestinal tracts of various mammals and birds.
Taxonomy
The species was initially described in 1969 from bacteria isolated from the bovine rumen. Its name was revived and validly published in 1982. Protein electrophoresis and DNA relatedness distinguished B. globosum from the closely related species Bifidobacterium pseudolongum.
In 1992, the species was reclassified as Bifidobacterium pseudolongum subsp. globosum. A genome-based taxonomic revision in 2018 restored it to species rank under its original name, Bifidobacterium globosum. The List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature recognizes B. globosum as the correct name and treats the subspecies combination as a synonym.
The name derives from the Latin adjective globosum, meaning spherical or globular.
Ecology and genomics
The type strain, RU 224 (= ATCC 25865 = DSM 20092 = JCM 5820), was isolated from the bovine rumen. In calves fed a high-concentrate diet, B. globosum was among the predominant bifidobacterial species, whereas bifidobacteria were much less abundant in calves fed a high-roughage diet.
Comparative genomic analyses have identified B. globosum strains from ruminants, other mammals and birds. These strains form a lineage distinct from B. pseudolongum and display a broad host range and substantial genomic diversity.