- Volume 26, Issue 3, 1976

The phylogenetic position of Sporosarcina ureae was reexamined by “comparative cataloging” of its 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid. The data were analyzed in the context of similar information for Micrococcus luteus (Sarcina lutea), Bacillus pasteurii, B. subtilis, and B. stearothermophilus. It is concluded that S. ureae is best classified as a member of the genus Bacillus in the same subgroup as is B. pasteurii.

This is a report of the second cooperative study, conducted by the International Working Group on Mycobacterial Taxonomy, to standardize and establish reproducibility of tests for classifying and identifying mycobacteria. Five tests that met specified rigorous criteria have already been described (Wayne et al., 1974). In the present report, six additional tests are described which meet these criteria. They are tests for production of niacin and of catalase and for resistance to 10 μg of isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid) per ml, 1 μg of thiophene 2-carboxylic acid hydrazide per ml, 250 μg of hydroxylamine hydrochloride per ml, and 500 μg of p-nitrobenzoate per ml.

A new species of Streptomyces is described for which the name S. longwoodensis is proposed. The organism produces a polyether ionophorous antibiotic, lysocellin. It is characterized by its gray spore mass color, spiral spore chain with smooth spores, chromogenic reaction on ISP media 1 and 6, and carbon utilization characteristics. It differs from all streptomycetes described previously on the basis of its carbon utilization, protein hydrolysis, and pigment production. The type strain of S. longwoodensis is Roche X-14537 (= ATCC 29251).

Serological and deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid homology studies were performed with PG2 and Donetta, the type strains of Mycoplasma agalactiae subsp. agalactiae Wroblewski 1931 and Mycoplasma agalactiae subsp. boυis Hale et al. 1962, respectively. It is concluded that the two subspecies should rather be regarded as two different species. It is proposed, therefore, that M. agalactiae subsp. boυis be elevated to the rank of species. The species name is M. boυis (Hale et al.) comb. nov.