Transfer ofHaemophilus equigenitalis Taylor et al. 1978 to the genusTaylorella gen. nov. asTaylorella equigenitalis comb. nov.

The taxonomic position ofHaemophilus equigenitalis Taylor et al. 1978, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis, was studied in comparison with phenotypically similar organisms such asMoraxella, Legionella, and others.Haemophilus equigenitalis is a microaerophilic, Gram-negative, nonmotile, short rod; the mean base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid of this organism is 36.5±0.5 mol% G+C. It shows best growth on chocolate agar, but very poor or no growth on plain nutrient agar and blood agar, although it requires no X- or V-factors for the growth. It is positive in catalase, oxidase, phosphatase, and phosphoamidase tests, but very unreactive in other biochemical tests for routine use. It produces no acid from any carbohydrates nor glycosidase. Arylamidase activities of the organism to -naphtylamide derivatives of various amino acids, and di- and tripeptides were also compared with those of other taxa. The group of this organism was different from other known taxa in the numerical analysis of its phenotypic characteristics, DNA base composition, and DNA-DNA hybridization. These data indicate thatH. equigenitalis does not belong in the genusHaemophilus nor other known genera, but rather in a new genus. Therefore, we propose thatHaemophilus equigenitalis be reclassified in a new genusTaylorella asTaylorella equigenitalis.     

Prototheca filamenta: A fungus not an alga

The genusPrototheca is composed of colorless algae. Plastids, a characteristic feature of colorless algae, are absent fromP. filamenta cells. The growth pattern seen with light and scanning electron microscopes, and the ultrastructure observed with the transmission electron microscope suggest thatP. filamenta is a fungus. Consequently we recommend the removal ofP. filamenta from the genusPrototheca and subsequent investigation of this organism to determine its correct taxonomic placement among the fungi.     

Growth and pigment production byArthrobacter pyridinolis n. sp.

A new bacterium capable of growing on 2-hydroxypyridine as sole source of carbon and nitrogen was isolated from soil. During its growth on solid medium, approximately 50% of this substrate was converted to a brilliant blue crystalline pigment which was deposited extracellularly in the colony mass. The pigment was identical to that produced byArthrobacter crystallopoietes during its growth on 2-hydroxypyridine. The new isolate exhibited the typical cycle of morphogenesis characteristic of the genusArthrobacter. The organism is different from all other reported species ofArthrobacter. It is proposed that the organism be namedArthrobacter pyridinolis n. sp.List of Abbreviations MSP mineral salts phosphate basal culture medium containing 2-hydroxypyridine, yeast extract and trace salts - 2-HP 2-hydroxypyridine - PFU plaque forming units - G+C guanine+cytosine - T _m midpoint of thermal denaturation     

Enzyme apparatus of the genusFusarium

The ability to degrade oligo- and polysaccharides by enzymes of the glycosidase and glucanglucan hydrolyse type, and esterase, phosphatase, proteinase, peroxidase, catalase, laccase and tyrosinase activities were tested in 35 strains of 11 sections of the genusFusarium.     

On the contamination of cell cultures byLeptospira biflexa

Summary A contaminant belonging to the genusLeptospira was detected in different cell lines. This organism was isolated and identified asLeptospira biflexa, a saprophytic species commonly inhabiting fesh waters. The source of this contaminant was not ascertained.     

Taxonomic implications of reproductive mechanisms ofHyphomicrobium-facies andPedomicrobium-facies of a pleomorphic budding bacterium

Slide cultures ofHyphomicrobium T37 were observed microscopically. The organism behaved as classicalHyphomicrobium by budding from a polar hypha, and asPedomicrobium when irregular colonies were produced by three processes: production of several hyphae from the cell, branching of hyphae, and sessile budding. The criteria for delimiting the genusPedomicrobium are discussed in the light of these facts.     

The yeastKluyveromyces africanus nov. spec. and its phylogenetic significance

Summary A new budding yeast species isolated from soil is described. Its outstanding features are, firstly, the formation of asci containing up to sixteen long oval to reniform ascospores and, secondly, a fermentative as well as oxidative metabolism. The assimilation of nitrate is absent and no pseudomycelium is formed. The taxonomic position of the yeast is discussed and it is pointed out that, due to its exceptional ascospore number (1–16), it cannot be classified in any of the existing fermentative genera of theEndomycetaceae (in sensu Lodder et Kreger-van Rij). The reniform shape of its ascospores indicates, however, its close relationship with the multispored genusKluyveromyces, on the one hand, and the newly proposed one to four-spored genusDekkeromyces on the other. The species is provisionally classified as aKluyveromyces species,Kluyveromyces africanus nov. spec., until further information regarding its sexual characteristics becomes available. By virtue of its more or less intermediate ascospore number, it establishes the direct derivation of the genusDekkeromyces fromDipodascus uninucleatus via the multispored yeast genusKluyveromyces.     

Comparative kinetic characterization of catalases of the genusPenicillum

Extracellular catalases produced by fungi of the genusPenicillium, i.e.,P. piceum, P. varians, andP. kapuscinskii, were purified by consecutive filtration of culture liquids. The maximum reaction rate of H₂O₂ decomposition, the Michaelis constants, and specific catalytic activities of isolated catalases were determined. The operational stability was characterized by the effective rate of catalase inactivation during enzymatic reaction (k _in at 30°C). The thermal stability was determined by the rate of enzyme thermal inactivation at 45°C (k _in ^* , s^-1). Catalase fromP. piceum displayed the maximum activity, which was higher than the activity of catalase from bovine liver. The operational stability of catalase fromP. piceum was twofold to threefold higher than the stability of catalase from bovine liver. The physicochemical characteristics of catalases of fungi are better than the characteristics of catalase from bovine liver and intracellular catalase of yeastC. boidinii.     

Pulmonary aspergillosis due toAspergillus terreus combined with staphylococcal pneumonia and hepatic candidiasis

A female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed pulmonary aspergillosis with staphylococcal pneumonia and hepatic candidiasis.Aspergillus terreus, which is a rare causative organism of pulmonary aspergilosis, was identified from a pulmonary lesion by culture. The aleurioconidium production, a characeristic of the genusAspergillus sect.terrei, was demonstrated on short and irregular hyphal features in tissue sections. This report is the first of a combined case of pulmonary aspergillosis due toA. terreus with infections caused by other microorganisms.     

Pichia robertsii nov. spec. A new haploid homothallic yeast

Summary A new haploid, homothallic yeast isolated from the larval feed ofXylocopa caffra is described. A study of its properties shows that the evolution of its sexual and biochemical characteristics has not taken place at the same rate as in the genusHansenula and the proposed genusDekkeromyces. This led the author to the conclusion that in the yeast domain phylogenetic lines may exist in which a unilateral evolution of biochemical characteristics has taken place. At least thre groups of yeasts exist where such discrepancies exist between the evolution of their sexual and biochemical characteristics. The inclusion of the new species in these groups is discussed. The new species has provisionally been classified in the genusPichia (in sensu Phaff). A Latin diagnosis of the species is given.     

A phylogenetic dissection of the family micrococcaceae

A comparative analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences in the Micrococcaceae shows the family not to be a phylogenetically coherent unit. In fact, at least two of its three genera are themselves not valid phylogenetic units. Species, of the genusMicrococcus are phylogenetically inseparable from those ofArthrobacter. The genusPlanococcus groups specifically with certain members ofBacillus, andStaphylococcus is also related to the genusBacillus, though more peripherally. These findings question the validity of spherical shape as a valid indicator of phylogenetic relationships on all but the lowest levels.     

Isolation and characteristics ofTreponema zuelzerae nov. spec., an anaerobic,free-living spirochete

Summary An anaerobic, free-living spirochete was isolated from mud. The organism can be cultivated in ordinary nutrient media, e.g. yeast extract-glucose. End products of glucose fermentation are: lactic, acetic, and succinic acids, CO₂, and H₂. In cultures of this organism spheroid bodies are formed, especially during the stationary growth phase. Studies of slide cultures showed that these bodies, when inoculated in fresh medium, do not give rise to spiral cells whereas a rapid multiplication of normal cells, also present in the inoculum, was observed. Since the organism is serologically related toTreponema pallidum, it has been assigned to the genusTreponema, and is here described asTreponema zuelzerae nov. spec. Part of this work was carried out at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, U.S.A., under a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship. Present address: Laboratorium voor Microbiologie, Wageningen, the Netherlands.     

A note on the genusTurritis L.

Conclusion The genusTurritis L. differs from the genusArabis L. by the arrangement of the myrosine cells and by the alignment of the seeds in the pods in two rows.The anatomical structure of the septum ist not a character differentiating the genusArabis from the genusTurritis. The author backs the view that it would be more correct to evaluate the genusTurritis only as an infrageneric taxon of the genusArabis.     

Physiological and cultural characteristics ofChromobacterium marinum sp. n.

A new species ofChromobacterium was isolated from open ocean waters. While it possessed somewhat different flagellar characteristics than some described species it demonstrated enough affinities to establish it in the genusChromobacterium. Under optimum conditions this organism had an unusually short generation time as well as an unusually rapid transition from the lag phase of growth to the death phase. It is suggested that this characteristic is one of the major reasons that organisms of this type have not, in the past, been successfully transferred from isolation plates inoculated with samples of sea water. The proposed name isChromobacterium marinum.     

OBSERVATIONS ON PHOTOHETEROTROPHY IN A MARINE DIATOM1

An unidentified species of the diatom genus Cocconeis has been isolated from the sediments of Biscayne Bay, Florida. The organism is capable of utilizing a range of organic substrates, including lactate, in the light but not in the dark, as shown by growth studies. Information is included on changes in cell carbon, nitrogen, and chlorophyll a during growth in batch culture. Data obtained on the kinetics of uptake of lactate and glucose raise questions on the possible ecological significance of photoheterotrophy among marine microalgae, particularly those in estuaries.     

Systematic revision of the catfish genusSilurus,with description of a new species from Thailand and Burma

On the basis of external morphology and anatomy, 17 scpeies of the genusSilurus Linnaeus including a new species,S. torrentis from Thailand and Burma, are recognized as valid.S. bedfordi Regan is synonymized withS. asotus, andS. goae Haig is transferred to the genusOmpok. From an anatomical study of 12 species, the diagnostic feature of the genusParasilurus Bleeker is revealed to be invalid, and the genus is synonymized withSilurus. From the phylogenetic analysis, the genusSilurus is divided into two major species groups, thecochinchinensis group which is disributed mainly in Southeast Asia, and theglanis group which is further separated into three subgroups occurring separately in East Asia and Europe. The pattern of distribution and relationships between ontogeny and phytogeny in the genusSilurus are briefly discussed.     

Reevaluation of the taxonomy ofVibrio,beneckea, andPhotobacterium: Abolition of the genusBeneckea

As a result of studies on the evolution of glutamine synthetase and superoxide dismutase, the genusBeneckea has been abolished and its constituent species, along withPhotobacterium fischeri andP. logei, assigned to the genusVibrio. The definitions ofVibrio andPhotobacterium have been modified accordingly.     

Molecular phylogeny ofCheirolophus (Asteraceae:Cardueae-Centaureinae) based on ITS sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA

The genusCheirolophus has an interesting western Mediterranean and Macaronesian distribution. Here we investigate the delimitation of the genus and its exclusion from the large genusCentaurea, the systematic position of the related genusPaleocyanus, the delimitation of some species and the phylogeny of the group. We have carried out a phylogenetic analysis of the PCR-generated sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. The results suggest that the genus, includingPaleocyanus crassifolius is monophyletic; thus, a new combination of this species underCheirolophus is proposed. The Macaronesian group of species is also monophyletic, indicating a single colonization of the archipelago. The poor resolution of microspecies in the Macaronesian group reinforces the hypothesis of a very recent differentiation of the group.     

DNA base composition and classification of some more free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria

The recently discoveredAzotobacter paspali has a % GC of 63.2–64.6. This value and the described physiological and biochemical features, justify its inclusion in the genusAzotobacter. Its % GC which is somewhat lower than that of the other members of this genus, and several unusual phenotypic properties, confirm its status as a separate species. Azotobacter miscellum ATCC 17962 has the same % GC value asAzotobacter vinelandii. Azotomonas insolita NCIB 8627 (58.9% GC) andAzotomonas fluorescens NCIB 9884 (64.8% GC) have peritrichous flagella. They do not belong to the genus to which they have been assigned; besides, the existence of the genusAzotomonas still remains to be ascertained. Pseudomonas azotocolligans NCIB 9391 (65.6% GC) also has peritrichous flagella. It should be removed from the genusPseudomonas. The taxonomic position of the latter three organisms is still unknown.     

The isolation and properties of a denitrifying bacterium of the genus Flavobacterium

A previously undescribed denitrifying bacterium was isolated from soil. The cells are small gram-negative rods, asporogenous, and non-motile. Colonies become yellow after long exposure to light. This colouring is due to the production of a carotenoid pigment. The organism shows no fermenting activity, and grows only in the presence of one of the following electron acceptors: NO _inf2 ^sup- , N₂O, and O₂. It does not reduce nitrate. It gives a positive oxidase test and has a cytochrome c and catalase. It requires no growth factors, is a chemoorganotroph and uses only sugars as carbon and energy supply. The DNA base composition is 40.8 moles percent GC. Although presenting the physiological characteristics of a pseudomonad, the organism described has been placed in the genus Flavobacterium because of its pigmentation and its low GC percentage.