Numerical Taxonomy and emended description of renibacterium-Salmoninarum

Abstract

Forty-four strains of Renibacterium salmoninarum and 12 representative cultures of Actinomyces, Arthrobacter, Lactobacillus, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Planococcus, Rothia and Listeria denitrificans were compared using numerical taxonomic techniques based upon 86 unit characters. Data were examined using the simple matching (SSM) and Jaccard (SJ) coefficients, and clustering was achieved using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) technique. Cluster composition was barely affected by the statistics used, or by the test error, which was estimated at 0.36%. The renibacteria formed a distinct and homogeneous cluster and were distinguished from the marker cultures by a characteristic API-ZYM profile. An emended description of R. salmoninarum is presented, based on the numerical data and the results of recent chemical and microbiological studies.