Herbert S. Goldberg

The Relationships of Bacteria Within the Family Bacteroidaceae as shown by Numerical Taxonomy

SUMMARY: A comparison, by numerical taxonomy methods, was made of 72 named or freshly isolated strains of Gram-negative anaerobes which were considered to belong within the family Bacteroidaceae. In the first analysis 57 strains were compared. Representative strains were then selected and compared with additional named strains in a second analysis. Four phena were identified: (1) strains of Sphaerophorus, Fusobacterium and Bacteraides melaninogenicus, (2) Bacteroides, (3) unnamed poultry isolates, (4) a second group of unnamed poultry isolates. The most useful differential tests were found to be: (a) cell morphology, (b) the terminal pH value in glucose broth and the production of formic, acetic, propionic or butyric acids, (c) the production of propionic acid from threonine, (d) growth stimulation by bile, (e) the effect of various inhibitors.