- Volume 17, Issue 4, 1967

Prévot’s strain DO-4 (VPI strain 0416) is proposed as the neotype strain of Ramibacterium alactolyticum Prévot and Taffanel (1 942). This strain represents members of the genus Ramibacterium formerly assigned to R. alactolyticum, R. pleuriticum, and R. dentium, which are objective synonyms. R. alactolyticum is an aerobic, Gram - positive, catalase - negative, pleomorphic rod that produces alcohols and acetic, butyric, caprioc, and often caprylic acids from glucose, apparently by condensation of 2-carbon intermediates with carboxylic acids in the medium. The organism is morphologically similar to the anaerobic corynebacteria, but can be differentiated from catalase - negative anaerobic corynebacteria by fermentation products and by several other properties as described in this study. R. alactolyticum has been isolated from human infections in Europe and in the United States.

Detailed studies of a group of strains, the 752/52 group, which was previously believed to belong to Moraxella nonlique-faciens show that these strains constitute a distinct entity deserving the status of a species. It is distinguishable from M. nonlique-faciens and M. osloensis as well as from a number of other strains of Moraxella or Moraxella-like organisms by strong urease activity and by deamination of phenylalanine and of tryptophan. It is practically incompatible with the two former species in streptomycin-resistance transformation. Among a large number of other strains tested for ability to deaminate phenylalanine and tryptophan, the strain 1078/55, described by Flamm in 1957 under the name Moraxella polymorpha, was exceptional in giving positive results. This strain was found to agree with the 752/52 group in all characters studied except urease production, and it is believed that this strain must be considered to belong to the same species. It is suggested that the epithet polymorpha in the combination Moraxella polymorpha will cause confusion, is illegitimate, and that the epithet should be rejected. It is proposed to rename the species Moraxella phenylpyrouvica. Since the first strain to be described, strain 1078/55, differs from the others in failing to split urea, it is suggested that a urease positive strain, 2863, should be designated the neotype strain of this species. The following two questions are referred to the Judicial Commission for Opinions.

1. Should the epithet polymorpha in the combination Moraxella polymorpha be placed in the list of nomina rejicienda according to Principle 1(2) and Rule 24d of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria?
2. Should the name Moraxella phenylpyrouvica be conserved against Moraxella polymorpha?

The genera Microellobosporia Cross et al. and Streptomyces Waksman and Henrici are alike in several features: Identical cell-wall composition, similar cell-wall antigens, susceptibility to the same polyvalent actinophages, and similar appearance of agar cultures. In all these properties there is no or little similarity to Streptosporangium Couch and Actinoplanes Couch. Because there are, in addition, no fundamental differences in spore formation in the sporangia of the Actinoplanaceae and in the sporogenic hyphae of the Streptomycetaceae, we propose the transference of the genus Microellobosporia from the Actinoplanaceae to the family Streptomycetaceae.

Micrococci seem to be organized antigenically in a similar way to staphylococci. Agglutinogens shared with Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, and a number of specific agglutinogens have been demonstrated. Two serologically specific teichoic acids were revealed by agar-gel precipitation. The results indicate that M. varians has erythrocyte sensitizing antigens, but not M. luteus, M. roseus, or M. conglomeratus. The other serologic examinations revealed no correlation to these biochemical types.

Three varieties of Staphylococcus aureus are described. These are characteristic of strains isolated from human, bovine and canine sources.

The methylene blue reduction of pathogenic and nonpathogenic staphylococci was tested in the culture medium, recommended by the IAMS Subcommittee for Staphylococci and Micrococci, for differentiating staphylococci and micrococci; the medium was used without the addition of agar or sugar. Coagulase-positive staphylococci reduced methylene blue within 30 minutes whereas the majority of nonpathogenic staphylococci and micrococci reduced methylene blue in a longer period of time. Amido-blue-black could be used as a means of differentiating pathogenic staphylococci from coagulase-negative staphylococci and micrococci.

The author believes that the majority of recently isolated Staphylococcus aureus strains have antigen 17 or 13 and are more virulent for laboratory animals and for man than those kept in the laboratory and which have undergone a variable number of transfers. These latter have antigens 1 or 3 and are less productive as regards some or all factors responsible for virulence i. e. infectivity and pathogenicity factors. It would thus seem that antigen loss variation is simultaneously attended by weakening of other biological characteristics. Conclusions from virulence studies will only be valid if experiments have been done on strains which have not yet undergone this antigenic variation.