Emendation of the Description of Pseudomonas cepacia Burkholder (Synonyms: Pseudomonas multivorans Stainer et al., Pseudomonas kingae Jonsson; EO-1 Group)

It has been reported that the names Pseudomonas multivorans, P. kingae, and P. cepacia are synonymous and that P. cepacia has priority. We have confirmed this synonymy by subjecting a larger number of strains (15 each) of P. multivorans and P. kingae to a wider variety of morphological, nutritional, physiological, and biochemical tests than employed in other studies. A total of 127 tests performed on each strain showed that the two groups of strains were 94% similar, differing only in the following nine characters: growth at 41 C; pigmentation; growth on cetrimide agar; nitrate reduction; acid from sucrose and maltose on O-F medium; utilization of nicotinate and n-dodecane as sole carbon sources; and susceptibility to nalidixic acid. Salient properties for both groups of strains are nutritional versatility and accumulation of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate as a cellular reserve material.