Jin Tamaoka

Reclassification of Pseudomonas acidovorans den Dooren de Jong 1926 and Pseudomonas testosteroni Marcus and Talalay 1956 as Comamonas acidovorans comb. nov. and Comamonas testosteroni comb. nov., with an Emended Description of the Genus Comamonas

We examined 36 strains of Pseudomonas acidovorans, Pseudomonas testosteroni, and Comamonas terrigena on the basis of phenotypic characters, chemotaxonomic characters, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-DNA homology. Strains of these three species share many phenotypic characteristics; these organisms exhibit higher levels of DNA-DNA homology and higher levels of electrophoretic enzyme pattern similarity within the three species than with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strains in the three species could be differentiated on the basis of carbon compound assimilation patterns, cellular fatty acid composition, and DNA base composition. We propose that Pseudomonas acidovorans and Pseudomonas testosteroni be transferred to the genus Comamonas, as Comamonas acidovorans comb. nov. and Comamonas testosteroni comb, nov., respectively.

Acidomonas gen. nov., Incorporating Acetobacter methanolicus as Acidomonas methanolica comb. nov.

A new genus of acidophilic, facultatively methylotrophic bacteria is described. These organisms are gram-negative, nonsporeforming, nonmotile, and rod shaped and grow at pH 2.0 to 5.5. These characteristics are unique among the methanol-utilizing bacteria. The deoxyribonucleic acid base composition is 63 to 65 mol% guanine plus cytosine. Acetobacter methanolicus TK 0705T (T = type strain) is a typical strain in this group. These bacteria are distinguished from type and representative strains of Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Acidiphilium, and Thiobacillus on the basis of deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid homology. A new genus, Acidomonas, is proposed to include this group of methylotrophic bacteria. The type species of the genus Acidomonas is Acidomonas methanolica comb, nov., with type strain TK 0705 (= IMET 10945).

Determination of the nucleotide composition of a deoxyribonucleic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography of its enzymatic hydrlysate: a review

Abstract The guanine-plus-cytosine content of DNA is one of the most important criteria for classification of microorganisms. Usually the G + C content is estimated by the melting temperature of the DNA. Although a number of high-performance liquid chromatography system for analyzing nucleic acid derivatives are known, their application for the G + C assay has not been widely utilized. This review covers recent work in which DNA is digested by purified enzyme(s) to form nucleotides or nucleosides, which are analyzed by HPLC. The new methods are practical and sufficiently reliable for the determination of DNA based composition.

Paracoccus alcaliphilus sp. nov., an Alkaliphilic and Facultatively Methylotrophic Bacterium

Alkaliphilic facultatively methanol-utilizing bacteria were investigated with respect to their phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics. These bacteria were gram-negative, nonsporeforming, nonmotile, coccoid or short rod-shaped organisms, grew at pH 7.0 to 9.5, and did not grow below pH 6.5 and above pH 10.0. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition was 64 to 66 mol% guanine plus cytosine. These bacteria resemble Paracoccus denitrificans with respect to morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, but are distinguished from P. denitrificans by physiological characteristics and DNA-DNA homology. These methanol-utilizing bacteria are described as a new species, Paracoccus alcaliphilus Urakami, Tamaoka, Suzuki, and Komagata. The type strain of P. alcaliphilus sp. nov. is strain TK 1015 (= JCM 7364).

Rarobacter faecitabidus gen. nov., sp. nov., a yeast-lysing coryneform bacterium

Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics of four isolates of yeast-lysing bacteria isolated from wastewater treatment systems were examined. The isolates were nonsporeforming, gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, irregular rods that were motile by multitrichous flagella. The isolates had an absolute requirement for hemin or hemoproteins for aerobic growth. Under anaerobic conditions, the isolates did not need heme compounds, but needed carbon dioxide. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition was 65.7 to 66.1 mol% guanine plus cytosine. The amino acid composition of the cell wall peptidoglycan was d-alanine, l-alanine, d-glutamic acid, l-ornithine, and d-serine (1:1:2:1:1). The major fatty acid of whole cells was 12-methyltetradecanoic acid. The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone with nine isoprene units. DNA-DNA hybridizations revealed clear separation of the isolates from known genera of the coryneform group. Therefore, Rarobacter faecitabidus gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed for the isolates. The type strain is YLM-1 (JCM 6097).

Structures of the tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromActinomadura angiospora, Faenia rectivirgula, andSaccharothrix australiensis

The structures of the tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromActinomadura angiospora, Faenia rectivirgula, andSaccharothrix australiensis were determined by mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. The positions of saturation of the tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromFaenia rectivirgula andSaccharothrix australiensis were units II plus III (counting from the ring system), whereas that ofActinomadura angiospora had units III and VIII hydrogenated. The tetrahydrogenated menaquinones fromFaenia rectivirgula andSaccharothrix australiensis are similar to those characterized from other Gram-positive taxa to date, whereas that fromActinomadura angiospora represents a hitherto unknown isomer.