Deoxyribonucleic Acid Characterization of a Microorganism Isolated from Infectious Thromboembolic Meningoencephalomyelitis of Cattle 1

Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) from an unnamed species of microorganism (bovine encephalitis isolate) previously placed in the family Brucellaceae and from representative species of this family were thermally denatured to determine mole percentages of guanine plus cytsine (mol %G+C). The results established that DNA from the bovine encephalitis isolate had a mol %G+C of 37.3 ± 0.2, which was between values for Haemophilus influenzae and Francisella tularensis. Values for mol %G+C of the other microorganisms in this family agreed with previously reported data. A heterogenous group of microorganisms composed of six different overlapping genera and the BEI were in the range of 33 to 46 mol %G+C. Because the mol %G+C of the genera in this group did not differ statistically, the proper taxonomic position of recognized members of the family Brucellaceae was questioned.