Actinomycetes, 1991, Vol.2, Part 2. pp. 51-53.
DNA relatedness in Streptomyces species groups
DAVID P. LABEDA
Code Number: AC91011
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Taxonomic descriptions of Streptomyces species using
traditional morphological and physiological criteria have
resulted {n the proliferation of valid and invalid species
names in the literature, totaling nearly 3,000 by 1970 (Trejo,
1970)(1). The Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (Skerman
et al., 1980)(2) and taxa subsequently validly
published now total 346 species for the genus Streptomyces.
A study of these named taxa using numerical taxonomic
analysis of data for 159 unit characters by Williams et al.
(1983)(3) reduced the genus Streptomyces to 77
cluster groups, which is currently reflected in the recently
published Volume 4 of Bergey's Manual of Systematic
Bacteriology (Williams et al., 1989)(4) Some of
these groups, such as the Streptomyces cyaneus
cluster, are rather heterogeneous in terms of
morphological characteristics. Other clusters, such as the
Streptomyces violaceus-niger group, are relatively
homogeneous morphologically, consisting of gray-spored
strains. In order to clarify the genetic relationships of the
strains in these two dusters, DNA hybridization methodology
was used to measure genetic relatedness among strains in each
cluster group. Since many of the International Streptomyces
Project (ISP) strains originated from the ARS Culture
Collection, and all of the ISP collection of strains was
accessioned into the ARS Culture Collection upon Prof.
Shirling's retirement, it was very easy to compare the same
strains as used in the numerical taxonomic study of Williams
et al. (1983)(3).
Copyright 1996 C.E.T.A., The International Centre for
Theoretical and Applied Ecology, Gorizia
