Changes

Recently, whole genome sequencing led to the genetically driven proposal to divide the genus of ''Lactobacillus'' into either 2 subdivisions, or more radically into 10-14 subdivisions by one study <ref>[https://aem.asm.org/content/84/17/e00993-18 Comparative Genomics of the Genus Lactobacillus Reveals Robust Phylogroups That Provide the Basis for Reclassification. Elisa Salvetti, Hugh M. B. Harris, Giovanna E. Felis, Paul W. O'Toole. 2018. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00993-18.]</ref><ref>[https://aem.asm.org/content/85/3/e02155-18 Towards a Genome-Based Reclassification of the Genus Lactobacillus. Stijn Wittouck, Sander Wuyts, Sarah Lebeer. 2019. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02155-18.]</ref> and 23 divisions by another study accepted for publication by the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology which tends to carry more authority in microbiological circles <refname="Zheng_2020">[https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.004107 A taxonomic note on the genus Lactobacillus: Description of 23 novel genera, emended description of the genus Lactobacillus Beijerinck 1901, and union of Lactobacillaceae and Leuconostocaceae. Jinshui Zheng et al. 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004107.]</ref>. With the emergence of whole genome sequencing, other changes have been proposed, such as merging and splitting species of ''Lactobacillus'' <ref>[https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2019/01/31/537084.full.pdf A genome-based species taxonomy of the Lactobacillus Genus Complex. Stijn Wittouck, Sander Wuyts, Conor J Meehan, Vera van Noort, Sarah Lebeer. 2019. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/537084.]</ref>. Renaming 200+ lactobacilli into new categories and names could also have a significant impact on the industries that use these microbes. The scale of this change has been discussed and considerations given for such industries, while the new classifications should be robust enough to withstand future scientific discoveries and should be based on genetic patterns <ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224419303164 The potential impact of the Lactobacillus name change: the results of an expert meeting organised by the Lactic Acid Bacteria Industrial Platform (LABIP). Bruno Pot, Elisa Salvetti, Paola Mattarelli, Giovanna E. Felis. 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2019.07.006.]</ref>. Several species mergers and splits have also been identified <ref>[https://search.proquest.com/docview/2299499440?pq-origsite=gscholar A Genome-Based Species Taxonomy of the Lactobacillus Genus Complex. Wittouck Stijn; Wuyts Sander; Meehan, Conor J; van Noort Vera; Lebeer, Sarah. 2019. DOI:10.1128/mSystems.00264-19.]</ref>.  The outcome of these analyses has been to update the genus of ''Lactobacillus'' into 25 distinct genera, including 23 new genera. They now include: ''Lactobacillus'', ''Paralactobacillus'', ''Acetilactobacillus'', ''Agrilactobacillus'', ''Amylolactobacillus'', ''Apilactobacillus'', ''Bombilactobacillus'', ''Companilactobacillus'', ''Dellaglioa'', ''Fructilactobacillus'', ''Furfurilactobacillus'', ''Holzapfelia'', ''Lacticaseibacillus'', ''Lactiplantibacillus'', ''Lapidilactobacillus'', ''Latilactobacillus'', ''Lentilactobacillus'', ''Levilactobacillus'', ''Ligilactobacillus'', ''Limosilactobacillus'', ''Liquorilactobacillus'', ''Loigolactobacilus'', ''Paucilactobacillus'', ''Schleiferilactobacillus'', and ''Secundilactobacillus''. This [http://lactotax.embl.de/wuyts/lactotax/ Taxonomy Tool] can be used to check which species have changed. it is important to note that species names did not change <ref name="Zheng_2020" />. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics has [https://isappscience.org/new-names-for-important-probiotic-lactobacillus-species adopted this new nomenclature].

* [http://lactobacillus.ualberta.ca Proposed name Name changes potentially supported by the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology] and [https://isappscience.org/new-names-for-important-probiotic-lactobacillus-species/ this science news article].