Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1965 Jul;90(1):136–140. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.1.136-140.1965

Agreement Between Deoxyribonucleic Acid Base Composition and Taxometric Classification of Gram-Positive Cocci1

L G Silvestri a, L R Hill a
PMCID: PMC315605  PMID: 16562008

Abstract

Silvestri, L. G. (Università Statale, Milan, Italy), and L. R. Hill. Agreement between deoxyribonucleic acid base composition and taxometric classification of gram-positive cocci. J. Bacteriol. 90:136–140. 1965.—It had been previously proposed, from taxometric analyses, that gram-positive, catalase-positive cocci be divided into two subgroups. Thirteen strains, representative of both subgroups, were examined for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition, determined from melting temperatures. Per cent GC (guanine + cytosine/total bases) values fell into two groups: 30.8 to 36.5% GC and 69 to 75% GC. Strains with low per cent GC values belonged to the Staphylococcus aureus–S. saprophyticus–S. lactis taxometric subgroups, and those with high per cent GC values belonged to the S. roseus–S. afermentans subgroup. The hypothetical nature of any classification is emphasized, and, in the present work, the hypothesis derived from taxometric analyses of division into two subgroups is confirmed by the study of DNA base ratios. The two subgroups correspond, respectively, to the genera Staphylococcus and Micrococcus.

Full text

PDF
136

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BAIRD-PARKER A. C. A classification of micrococci and staphylococci based on physiological and biochemical tests. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Mar;30:409–427. doi: 10.1099/00221287-30-3-409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BARBU E., LEE K. Y., WAHL R. Contenu en bases puriques et pyrimidiques des acides désoxyribonucléiques des bactéries. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1956 Aug;91(2):212–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COWAN S. T., STEEL K. L. COMPARISON OF DIFFERENTIATING CRITERIA FOR STAPHYLOCOCCI AND MICROCOCCI. J Bacteriol. 1964 Sep;88:804–805. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.3.804-805.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FRONTALI C., HILL L. R., SILVESTRI L. G. THE BASE COMPOSITION OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACIDS OF STREPTOMYCES. J Gen Microbiol. 1965 Feb;38:243–250. doi: 10.1099/00221287-38-2-243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. GAUSE G. G., LOSHKAREVA N. P., ZBARSKY I. B., GAUSE G. F. DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID BASE COMPOSITION IN CERTAIN BACTERIA AND THEIR MUTANTS WITH IMPAIRED RESPIRATION. Nature. 1964 Aug 8;203:598–599. doi: 10.1038/203598a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HILL L. R., SILVESTRI L. G., IHM P., FARCHI G., LANCIANI P. AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCI BY PRINCIPAL-COMPONENT ANALYSIS AND A GRADIENT METHOD. J Bacteriol. 1965 May;89:1393–1401. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.5.1393-1401.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HILL L. R. The Adansonian classification of the staphylococci. J Gen Microbiol. 1959 Apr;20(2):277–283. doi: 10.1099/00221287-20-2-277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MARMUR J., DOTY P. Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturation temperature. J Mol Biol. 1962 Jul;5:109–118. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(62)80066-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MARMUR J., FALKOW S., MANDEL M. NEW APPROACHES TO BACTERIAL TAXONOMY. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1963;17:329–372. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.17.100163.001553. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rogers D. J., Tanimoto T. T. A Computer Program for Classifying Plants. Science. 1960 Oct 21;132(3434):1115–1118. doi: 10.1126/science.132.3434.1115. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. SHAW C., STITT J. M., COWAN S. T. Staphylococci and their classification. J Gen Microbiol. 1951 Nov;5(5 Suppl):1010–1023. doi: 10.1099/00221287-5-5-1010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES