Genome-based reclassification of Fontibacillus solani Ramirez-Bahena et al. 2015 as a later heterotypic synonym of Fontibacillus panacisegetis Lee et al. 2011

This study focuses on the taxonomic relationship between <i>Fontibacillus solani</i> LMG 28458^T and <i>Fontibacillus panacisegetis</i> CECT 7605ᵀ using whole-genome-based phylogenetic and comparative genomic approaches. Although the 16S rRNA gene sequence of <i>F. solani</i> LMG 28458ᵀ shared 99.03% similarity with <i>F. panacisegetis</i> CECT 7605ᵀ, it was previously described as a separate species based on differences in G+C content and phenotypic traits. However, our analyses revealed that average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between the two strains exceed the accepted thresholds for species delineation. Phylogenomic analysis further confirmed that both strains form a monophyletic clade, indicating a close evolutionary relationship. Comparative analyses of the protein and genome sequences of the bacteria supported their classification as similar species. These results, combined with high overall genomic similarity, support the reclassification of <i>F. solani</i> as a later heterotypic synonym of <i>F. panacisegetis</i>.