A COMPARISON OF SOME GRAM-NEGATIVE, YELLOW PIGMENTED RODS ISOLATED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLINICAL SOURCES

Abstract

A numerical taxonomic study was undertaken to compare 86 strains of Gram negative, yellow pigmented rods including 9 reference strains and 17 clinical isolates. Computation of data by a nearest neighbour sorting strategy separated a group of 28 strains at the 65% s level which corresponded to the revised genus description of Flavobaeterium [12]. This group included strains of F. breve (NCTC 11099), F. odoratum (NCTC 11036), King's group IIb (NCTC 10795), clinical isolates and environmental isolates. F. meningosepticum (NCTC 10016), NCTC 10798 (King's group IIf) and F. aquatile (NCIB 8694) were excluded and the latter was contained in a group with F. peetinovorum (=C. johnsonae NCIB 9059) and other gliding strains. In the Flavobaeterium group four isolates were presumptively identified as F. odoratum, five isolates as F. breve, but the remainder could not be assigned to well defined species. The results of the study have been used to illustrate research needs for Gram negative yellow pigmented rods.