INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL O F
SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY
Vol. 20, No. 2
A p r i l 1970
pp; 133-147
Copyright 1970, Iowa State University P r e s s
THE IDENTIFICATION O F JENSENIA CANICRURIA
BISSET AND MOORE AS A MATING T Y P E O F
NOCARDIA ERYTHROPOLIS (GRAY AND
THORNTON) WAKSMAN AND HENRICI
Margie M. Adams, J . N . Adams, and G.H. Brownell
Departments of Microbiology
School of Medicine
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, S.D. 57069
and
Medical College of Georgia
Augusta, Georgia 30902
ABSTRACT. U s i n g d e t e r m i n a t i o n s o f p h y s i o l o gical reactions, nocardiophage sensitivities
a n d r e c o m b i n a n t p r o d u c t i o n , s u b c u l t u r e s of
t h e t y p e s t r a i n s of J e ns enia canicruria Biss e t and Moore were found to be identical to
s u b c u l t u r e s of t h e t y p e s t r a i n s o f N o c a r d i a
erythropolis (Gray and Thornton) Waksman
and Henrici.
It w a s s u g g e s t e d t h a t u n d e r t h e
r u l e s of n o m e n c l a t u r e , J . c a n i c r u r i a s h o u l d
b e r e d u c e d t o synonymy with N. e r y t h r o p o l i s .
T h e i n c l u s i o n of N . e r y t h r o p o l i s i n t h e s y n onomy of Mycobacterium rhodochrous (Overbeck) Gordon and Mihm was rejected by the
author s owing to differences between s t r a i n s
i n c l u d e d i n t h e s y n o n y m y of M . r h o d o c h r o u s
a n d t h e s t r a i n s of N. e r y t h r o p o l i s e x a m i n e d .
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Jensenia c a n i c r u r i a B i s s e t and Moore was first legitim a t e l y d e s c r i b e d a s a s o i l diphtheroid (8). Owing t o t h e
g r e a t morphological s i m i l a r i t y of J. c a n i c r u r i a t o - m e m b e r s
of the genus Nocardia (1, 4 , 5 , 25), it was suggested that J e n c x s e n i a was a l a t e r synonym of Nocardia (5) and that J. c r u r i a should be i n c l u d e d a s a s p e c i e s i n the g e n u s g o c a r d i a
( 5 , 6 , 20, 21,22). While agreeing t h a t t h e genus J e n s e n i a did
not a p p e a r to be an a p p r o p r i a t e designation f o r the o r g a n i s m
d e s c r i b e d by B i s s e t and Moore (8), Gordon and Mihm (17)
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I N T E R NA T I 0 N A L J O U R NA L
134
considered J. c a n i c r u r i a to be a l a t e r synonym f o r
My c oba c t e r i u m
(Overbeck) Gordon and Mihm
(15, 1 6 ) and included J,. c a n i c r u r i a among s t r a i n s belonging to the species
rhodochrous. More recently, using
numberical analysis, Skyring and Quadling (27) found J_.
c a n i c r u r i a to c l u s t e r among a r t h r o b a c t e r s , corynebacteria
and brevibacteria. In contrast, Davis and Newton( 1 3 ) found
J. c a n i c r u r i a t o b e readily s e p a r a b l e f r o m corynebacteria,
a r t h r o b a c t e r s and brevibacteria but J. c a n i c r u r i a f e l l within
the Mycobacterium-Nocardia group. The possible r e a l i t y of
the speculated c e n t r a l location of o r g a n i s m s such a s J. canic r u r i a i n evolutionary schema (5, 6,. 19, 20, 21, 22, 24,2 6 ) perhaps h a s led to the difficulty of adequately placing
this o r g a n i s m o r closely r e l a t e d o r g a n i s m s into a taxon
acceptable to a l l investigators. If the speculation i s indeed
t r u e , the apparent conflict concerning appropriate taxonomy
and nomenclature of J. c a n i c r u r i a can be readily understood.
=.
In the p a s t s e v e r a l y e a r s recombinational phenomena
involving conjugation between o r g a n i s m s originally d e s c r i b e d
as J. c a n i c r u r i a and a n o r g a n i s m described a s M. erythropolis G r a y and Thornton(l8) but now considered to be a
m e m b e r of the genus Norcardia, N . erythropolis (Gray
and Thornton) Waksman and Henrici (28) have been fully
substantiated (2, 3, 9, 10). Thus these s t r a i n s o r species
a r e now among one of the v e r y few b a c t e r i a l groups definitively shown to display conjugational heredity. A s a con
sequence of this importance, a m o r e definitive nomenclature
for
c a n i c r u r i a should be established.
-
J.
The p r e s e n t investigation c l e a r l y establishes J.canic r u r i a a s one of two, o r m o r e , mating types of ,N. erythropolis
Consequently J. c a n i c r u r i a m u s t be considered
a s a l a t e r synonym of N,. erythropolis. The p r e s e n t r e p o r t
does not, however, t r y to suggest the ultimate taxonomic
destination of N,. erythropolis-like o r g a n i s m s . The a n s w e r
to this question m u s t r e m a i n f o r the future when p r e c i s e
investigations of the evolution and taxonomy of these organi s m s have been completed.
.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
S t r a i n s . The origins of the c u l t u r e s used in these
investigations a r e listed i n Table 1. Subcultures of the type
c u l t u r e s of N,. erythropolis held by the A m e r i c a n Type
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SYSTEMATIC
BAC T ERIO LOGY
135
Culture Collection (ATCC) and the National Collection of
I n d u s t r i a l B a c t e r i a (NCIB), Scotland, a r e included. ,N.
e r y t h r o p o l i s NCLB 9158 i s c o n s i d e r e d to be a s u b c u l t u r e
of a c u l t u r e originating i n G r a y ' s l a b o r a t o r y and d e s c r i b e d
by G r a y and Thornton (18) a s M. e r y t h r o p o l i s . _N. e r y t h r o polis ATCC 4277 w a s d e r i v e d T r o m NCIB 9158. A s u b c u l t u r e of the type c u l t u r e of J. c a n i c r u r i a , ATCC 11048,
held by A T C C i s a l s o included although L. c a n i c r u r i a
JA-SD 3 h a s b e e n c o n s i d e r e d i n o u r l a b o r a t o r y (4, 5) to be
a n authentic subculture of the type c u l t u r e , having originated
indirectly, f r o m the Laboratory of L. c a n i c r u r i a ' s o r i g i n a l
d e s c r i b e r s (8). N_. e r y t h r o p o l i s JA-SD 2 a n d J . c a n i c r u r i a
JA-SD 3 have been thoroughly d e s c r i b e d i n the p a s t on the
b a s i s of t h e i r c e l l u l a r morphology (1, 4, 5, 25) a n d mating
behavior (2, 3, 9, 19). It would a p p e a r that the c u l t u r e s
studied h e r e m u s t be c o n s i d e r e d a s authentic r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of the taxa N,. e r y t h r o p o l i s (Gray and Thornton)
Waksman and H e n r i c i a n d L. c a n i c r u r i a B i s s e t a n d Moore.
i n addition, a s t r a i n originally designated a s g. a g r e s t e
a.
g r e s t e 365, but now usually c o n s i d e r e d a s a s t r a i n
(18) &I
of N_. c o r a l l i n a (28) w a s included i n t h e s e s t u d i e s . N,. r u b r a
J A S D 1 a n d N . c o r a l l i n a N 305 w e r e a l s o included s i n c e
they, like g. e r y t h r o p o l i s and L. c a n i c r u r i a , had b e e n
rhodochrous by o t h e r w o r k e r s
included i n the synonomy of
(15, 16).
T e s t s a n d c u l t u r e conditions. P h y s i o l o g i c a l t e s t s like
--t h o s e applied by o t h e r i n v e s t i g a t o r s to s i m i l a r s t r a i n s (15,
16) w e r e u s e d i n the p r e s e n t s t u d i e s . ALL s t r a i n s w e r e
routinely maintained on n u t r i e n t a g a r s l a n t s (Difco
L a b o r a t o r i e s , Detroit, Michigan) and s t o r e d a t r e f r i g e r a t o r
t e m p e r a t u r e s . Utilization of s u g a r s a n d polyhydric a l c o h o l s
w a s d e t e r m i n e d on a b r o m - t h y m o l blue containing m e d i u m
(23) supplemented with the c a r b o h y d r a t e s being t e s t e d . In
t h e s e t e s t s positive utilization w a s c o n s i d e r e d a s the p r o duction of a yellow color i n the colony. A c e t a t e , c i t r a t e ,
oxalate and succinate was substituted f o r glucose i n a
m i n i m a l defined m e d i u m (2) to d e t e r m i n e the ability of the
t e s t e d o r g a n i s m s to u s e t h e s e s u b s t a n c e s a s s o l e c a r b o n
and e n e r g y s o u r c e s . The utilization of glucose a s the s o l e
c a r b o n - e n e r g y s o u r c e was a l s o d e t e r m i n e d . N i t r a t e
reduction w a s a s c e r t a i n e d by cultivating the o r g a n i s m s i n
n i t r a t e containing m e d i u m (Difco) a n d subsequently testing
c u l t u r e s f o r the p r e s e n c e of n i t r a t e with sulfanilic a c i d ,
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T A B L E 1.
c-'
S o u r c e s of s t r a i n s .
w
@
~
Authors' Designation and Strain #
Nocardia c a n i c r u r i a
JA-SD3
Prior Designation and Origin
J e n s e n i a c a n i c r u r i a , f r o m N. M . M c C l u n g ,
f r o m F . A. C l a r k f r o m K. A. B i s s e t
Nocardia c a n i c r u r i a JA-SD7
N o c a r d i a c o r a Z Z i n a N 3 0 5 , f r o m S. G. B r a d l e y
J e n s e n i a c a n i c r u r i a A T C C 11048
Jensenia canicruria
Nocardia e r y t h r o p o Z i s JA-SD 2
N o c a r d i a e r y t h r o p o Z i s 3 4 0 7 , f r o m N. M .
N o c a r d i a e r y t h r o p o Z i s N C I B 91 5 8
Nocardia e r y t h r o p o z i s 9158, from National
Nocardia e r y t h r o p o t i s ATCC 4 2 7 7
Nocardia e r y t h r o p o Z i s 4277, from American
f r o m J. D. S t o u t
Culture Collection
11048, A m e r i c a n T y p e
M c C l u n g f r o m S. A. W a k s m a n
Collection o f Industrial Bacteria
Type Culture Collection
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;3,
cc
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E
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B A C T E R I O LO G Y
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0
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S Y ST.E M A TIC
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137
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TABLE 2 .
ReactCons of s t r a i n s t o p h y s i o Z o g i c a Z t e s t s and n o c a r d i Q p h a g e s e n s i t e v Z t Z e s
w
w
a3
A u t h o r s ' s t r a i n numb,er
JA-SD 3
JA-SD 7
ATCC
1 1 048
N i t r i t e s f r o m n i t r a t e s -b /
2
NCIB
9158
ATCC
4277
JAvSD 1
365
R e a c t io n
Test
U r e a s e p r o d u c t i o n -a /
JA-SP
t
-
t
t
c
c
t
-
t
-
t
c
c
r
t
t
U t i l i z a t i o n as carbong/
and e n e r g y s o u r c e
+
t
t
Acetate
t
+
Succinate
t
C itrate
+.
G1ucose
Oxalate
Ge 1 a t in h y d r o 1 y s is-d /
3
c
c
"
S t a r c h h y d r o 1 y s is-e /
Casein hydrolysisf-/
c
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c
P
N
w
m
-1
4
-I
I
I
I
+
I
I
I
I
+
+
+
I
+
BACTERIOLOGY
I
+
SYSTEMATIC
I
+
I
I
+
I
+
I
I
I
I
I
I
+
+
I
t
I
I
+
+
l
I
t
I
l
+
l
139
+
+
+
+
I
l
I
I
+
l
I
l
+
I
+
l
I
+
+
+
+
I
I
I
I
I
+
I
+
l
I
I
+
I
+
+
+
I
+
+
+
I
+
+
I
+
+
I
+
l
I
+
I
+
I
l
I
I
I
I
+
+
I
I
I
l
I
I
l
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TABLE 2 .
continued
L y s i s b y n o c a r d i o p h a g e -h /
MNPl
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
c
@C
t
t
t
F
c
c
@EC
t
+
t
t
t
c
MNP7
a/
b/
-c /
d/
N e g a t i v e r e a c t i o n s r e c o r d e d a f t e r 21 d a y s i n c u b a t i o n .
w i t h i n 3 d.
t
R e a c t i o n s r e c o r d e d a f t e r 14 d i n c u b a t i o n
R e a c t i o n s r e c o r d e d a f t e r 21 d i n c u b a t i o n .
recorded a f t e r 5 d incubation.
Reactions recorded a f t e r 14 d incubation.
s/ R e a c t i o n s
-h /
I
P o s i t i v e r e a c t i o n observed
Reactions recorded a f t e r 5 d incubation.
-e l R e a c t i o n s
f/
-
I
recorded a f t e r 3 d incubation.
Reactions recorded a f t e r 1 d incubation.
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H
SYSTEMATIC
BACTERIOLOGY
141
a l p h a - n a p h t h y l a i n e reagents. The a b i lity to liquefy ge Latin
was determined i n stab inoculated nutrient gelatin c u l t u r e s
(Difco). Tubes containing gelatin c u l t u r e s w e r e chilled
i n i c e water to detect the p r e s e n c e of liquefied gelatin a f t e r
a p p r o p r i a t e incubation i n t e r v a l s . U r e a s e production by the
s t r a i n s was d e t e r m i n e d by observing the p r e s e n c e o r a b s e n c e
of indicator color changes i n c u l t u r e s on u r e a broth (Difco)
o r u r e a solid medium (Difco). The ability to hydrolyze
s t a r c h was a s c e r t a i n e d by growing the s t r a i n s on nutrient
a g a r supplernented with 0 . 2 % soluble s t a r c h ; a f t e r a p p r o p r i a t e incubation the p l a t e s w e r e flooded with 370 I-KI
solution to detect the p r e s e n c e o r absence of the s t a r c h iodine complex surrounding the growth. Casein hydrolysis
was d e t e r m i n e d by observing a hydrolyzed a r e a surrounding
colonies i n c u l t u r e s grown on nutrient a g a r containing 1%
casein. All c u l t u r e s for the above t e s t s w e r e incubated a t
30C f o r a p p r o p r i a t e i n t e r v a l s .
Sensitivity of the s t r a i n s to infection by nocardiophage
was determined using a previously d e s c r i b e d method (11).
The nocardiophages used were: MNPl and MNp7 (6) and
# E C and # C (11). MNPl, MNP7, and # E C w e r e
propogated on _N. erythropolis JA-SD 2 ; $ C was propogated
on L. c a n i c r u r i a JA-SD 3.
F e r t i l i t y of mutants of the tested s t r a i n s w e r e determined
using methods previously d e s c r i b e d (2). S t r a i n s w e r e cons i d e r e d to be f e r t i l e if, upon mating, prototrophic r e c o m b i nants, a t l e a s t 10-fold g r e a t e r than background mutations
of individual controls, w e r e r e c o v e r e d on glucose containing
m i n e r a l s a l t s medium. All mating a t t e m p t s w e r e c a r r i e d
out a minimum of 5 t i m e s .
RESULTS
The r e s u l t s of the physiological t e s t s and nocardiophage
s e n s i t i v i t i e s a r e shown i n Table 2 . All c u l t u r e s designated
a s ,N. erythropolis o r 2. c a n i c r u r i a produced identical
reactions i n these t e s t s with the exception of the t e s t of
sensitivity to nocardiophage # C. All examined c u l t u r e s
labeled _N. erythropolis w e r e r e s i s t a n t to the action of this
nocardiophage , while a l l J. c a n i c r u r i a c u l t u r e s w e r e
sensitive. Of the other c u l t u r e s , that labeled 3. corallina
N 3 0 5 was found to be identical i n a l l r e s p e c t s to those
labeled
c a n i c r u r i a . The c u l t u r e s labeled g. rubra and
J.
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142
INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL
M.
a g r e s t e w e r e found t o d i f f e r i n s e v e r a l r e s p e c t s f r o m
t h o s e s t r a i n s above a n d f r o m e a c h o t h e r .
The r e s u l t s of the a t t e m p t e d m a t i n g s of the examined
c u l t u r e s a r e shown i n Table 3 . A l l mating a t t e m p t s between
d i r e c t line d e r i v a t i v e s of c u l t u r e s d e s i g n a t e d a s N_. e r y t h r o p o l i s and d e r i v a t i v e s of c u l t u r e s designated a s
canicruria
o r N_. c o r a l l i n a N305 w e r e f e r t i l e . Matings of N,. e r y t h r o p o l i s by N,. e r y t h r o p o l i s andJ. c a n i c r u r i a by J. c a n i c r u r i a ,
c o n s i d e r e d i n m o r e d e t a i l e l s e w h e r e (2, l o ) , w e r e i n f e r t i l e .
Matings of N_. r u b r a d e r i v a t i v e s with e i t h e r gL e r y t h r o p o t i s
o r J. c a n i c r u r i a d e r i v a t i v e s w e r e i n f e r t i l e i n a l l mating
a t t e m p t s . Matings w e r e not c a r r i e d out with the s t r a i n
designated a s M. a g r e s t e .
J.
DISCUSSION
It h a s been p r o p o s e d by s e v e r a l w o r k e r s (5, 6, 20, 21,
2 2 ) that J. c a n i c r u r i a i s a N o c a r d i a . Accordingly, J.
c a n i c r u r i a should then be r e n a m e d ,N. c a n i c r u r i a . In f a c t
t h i s h a s b e e n s u g g e s t e d by s o m e w o r k e r s (5) but the
designation, N,. c a n i c r u r i a , h a s not b e c o m e f i r m l y e s t a b lished i n the l i t e r a t u r e (13, 1 7 , 27). The p r e s e n t s t u d i e s
p r e c l u d e s u c h n o m e n c l a t u r e . I n a l l , excepting one, t e s t s
applied i n the p r e s e n t investigation, N,. e r y t h r o p o l i s
c u l t u r e s a n d o r g a n i s m s designated J. c a n i c r u r i a behaved
identically. F u r t h e r m o r e , m a t i n g s of d i r e c t line d e r i v a tives of ,N. e r y t h r o p o l i s with?. c a n i c r u r i a d e r i v a t i v e s i n
a l l i n s t a n c e s p r o v e d to be f e r t i l e as shown i n p r e s e n t
s t u d i e s a n d i n o t h e r r e p o r t s f r o m o u r l a b o r a t o r i e s (2, 3 ,
9, 10). On s u c h b a s e s i t would be unwise to exclude J,.
c a n i c r u r i a a n d _N. e r y t h r o p o t i s f r o m a single taxon. Since
d i r e c t s u b c u l t u r e s of the type c u l t u r e s of both of t h e s e
designated taxa a r e i n all ways i d e n t i c a l i n r e a c t i o n t o the
t e s t s applied h e r e a n d capable of b a c t e r i a l s e x u a l phenomena,
c a n i c r u r i a c a n only be conthese cultures designated
s i d e r e d a s mating type v a r i a n t s of N_. e r y t h r o p o t i s . Thus
J. c a n i c r u r i a B i s s e t a n d M o o r e m u s t be c o n s i d e r e d a s a
l a t e r synonym f o r N_. e r y t h r o p o l i s (Gray a n d Thornton)
Waksman a n d H e n r i c i . The c u l t u r e h e r e i n designated N,.
c o r a l t i n a N305 m u s t a l s o b e identified a s a mating type
v a r i a n t of ,N. e r y t h r o p o l i s . In a l l . liklihood the c u l t u r e
N. c o r a l l i n a N305, i n i t s p a s t , w a s e i t h e r misidentified
a s belonging t o the taxon g. c o r a l l i n a o r was m i s t a k e n l y
labeled.
J.
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T A B L E 3.
Strain PertiZity i n mating attempes
Mated w i t h
A u t h o r s ' s t r a i n number
Authors'
JA-SD
S t r a i n Number
JA-SD
3
JA-SD 7
JA-SD
3
JA-SD 7
- d/
-
-
P
JA-SB 2
ATCC
4277
JA-SD 1
t
t
c
t
t
-
2
ATCC 4 2 7 7
JA-SD 1
a/
A n e g a t i v e s i g n i n d i c a t e s t h a t recombinants were n o t r e c o v e r e d i n r e p e a t e d
mating attempts.
A p o s i t i v e s i g n i n d i c a t e s t h a t recombinants were r e c o v e r e d
i n mating attempts.
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144
I N T E R N A T I ONA L
JOURNAL
It i s quite c l e a r f r o m the p r e s e n t studies that J . c z i c r u r i a i s a l a t e r synonym of
erythropolis, and a c c o r d ing to nomenclatural r u l e s (14) should be included i n the
synonomy of _N. erythropolis. However, should g.e r y t h r o polis be relegated to the synonomy of M. r hodochrous a s
suggested by Gordon and Mihm (15, 16)? In our opinion,
M. rhodochrous i s composed of o r g a n i s m s too d i v e r s e i n
c h a r a c t e r to be included a s m e m b e r s of a single s p e c i e s .
Similar conclusions w e r e reached by s e v e r a l w o r k e r s .
Schneidau and Shaffer (26) investigated s e v e r a l s t r a i n s
previously examined by Gordon and Mihm (15, 16) and
found the d i s s i m i l a r i t y of the s t r a i n s ' biochemical c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s too g r e a t to allow their inclusion i n one species,
M. rhodochrous. Anderson and B r a d l e y (6) deemed i t
n e c e s s a r y to place two s t r a i n s labeled M. rhodochrous i n
divergent phylogenetic groups based on actinophage s u s ceptibilities. S i m i l a r d i v e r s e phylogeny i s indicated i n the
r e s u l t s of Kwapinski (24). In h i s studies, closely r e l a t e d
but s epa ra b 1e , anti g e ni ca 1ly det e r mine d phy loge ne t i c g r oup s
typified by s t r a i n s of J. c a n i c r u r i a , M. rhodochrous and
N. r u b r a w e r e recognized. Thus t h r e e o r g a n i s m s p r e viously considered a s s t r a i n s of M. rhodochrous (15, 16)
w e r e conflictingly found to typify s e p a r a b l e antigenic groups
(24). In investigations of i n f r a - r e d absorption p a t t e r n s of
Nocardia and r e l a t e d o r g a n i s m s (7), other w o r k e r s concluded that the s p e c i e s g. r u b r a , E. corallina and 2.
a s t e r o i d e s belonged to one distinct group (subdivision of
the group into distinct s p e c i e s was not ruled out) while ,N.
erythropolis, 2. yolychromogenes and other s p e c i e s c o m p r i s e d another separable group. Excepting ,N. a s t e r o i d e s ,
the species studied by i n f r a - r e d absorption a r e s i m i l a r o r
identical to s p e c i e s examined by Gordon and Mihm (15, 16, 17)
who previously had placed these species i n the synonomy of
the single species, 2.rhodochrous. Castelnuovo e t a t .
(12) included four s t r a i n s designated 9. rhodochrous i n
their studies of Nocardia and Mycobacterium. They
identified one s t r a i n labeled E. rhodochrous a s ,N. r u b r a ;
another was identified a s 2. corallina while the identity of
the two remaining s t r a i n s was uncertain.
N.
-
F r o m the r e s u l t s of the p r e s e n t investigation and of o t h e r s
cited, i t i s evident that the application of the name M.
rhodochrous to a single, presently well defined specTes i s
uncertain. According to nomenclatural r u l e s (14) a n e s s e n tial point i n nomenclature is to avoid the u s e of names which
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SYSTEMATIC
BACTERIOLOGY
145
m a y c a u s e e r r o r o r ambiguity. On t h i s b a s i s the s t r a i n s
examined h e r e cannot be legitimately c o n s i d e r e d i n the
synonomy of g. rhodochrous (Overbeck) Gordon and Mihm.
The hypothesis that a continuum of s p e c i e s e x i s t s i n the
genus Nocardia h a s been advanced, i n varying d e g r e e s of
f o r m a lity, by many inve s tigat o r s employing different
a p p r o a c h e s to d e t e r m i n e d e g r e e of s p e c i e s relationship
(5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26). Since Nocardia m a y
well be a continuum of s p e c i e s , we recognize that the
limits of s p e c i e s v a r i a t i o n i n the genus m a y have to be
artificially and a r b i t r a r i l y defined. It i s only through the
m e a n s of a thorough study of the genus and i t s s p e c i e s i n
a l l a s p e c t s thought to be taxonomically significant will a
meaningful classification of n o c a r d i a l s p e c i e s be realized.
Consequently while this r e p o r t h a s a t t e m p t e d to c l a r i f y the
nomenclature of only few enigmatic nocardial s t r a i n s , we
recognize that a fully s a t i s f a c t o r y t r e a t m e n t of these o r a n y
other nocardial s t r a i n s a w a i t s f u t u r e study and a g r e e m e n t .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The a u t h o r s would like t o thank S. G. B r a d l e y , R. E.
Gordon and N. M. McClung f o r subcultures of s t r a i n s a n d
nocardiophage p r e p a r a t i o n s . The technical a s s i s t a n c e of
Sharon Murnane and Dale H i r s h k o r n w a s a p p r e c i a t e d . This
work w a s supported by g r a n t s GM 12008 and R e s e a r c h
C a r e e r Development Award 5K03 GM 17214 f r o m the
National Institutes of G e n e r a l Medicat Sciences, F R 5421
f r o m the G e n e r a l R e s e a r c h Support B r a n c h of the National
Institutes of Health and Training G r a n t A1 00232 f r o m the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious D i s e a s e s .
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