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Genetic relationship between "Campylobacter fecalis" and Campylobacter sputorum subsp. bubulus.
Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, Et Immunologica Scandinavica. Section B, Microbiology
|October 1, 1985
Summary
Campylobacter fecalis and C. sputorum subsp. bubulus share similar DNA, suggesting C. fecalis should be classified as a subspecies of C. sputorum. This reclassification impacts bacterial taxonomy and understanding of related species.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Taxonomy
- Genetics
Background:
- Campylobacter fecalis and C. sputorum subsp. bubulus are distinct bacterial taxa.
- Previous classifications relied on phenotypic characteristics, such as catalase activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the taxonomic relationship between Campylobacter fecalis and C. sputorum subsp. bubulus.
- To determine if DNA base composition and DNA-DNA hybridization support their separation as distinct species.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of DNA base composition (mol%(G+C)) for nine strains of C. fecalis and two reference strains of C. sputorum subsp. bubulus.
- Performance of DNA-DNA hybridization experiments to assess genetic relatedness between the two taxa.
Main Results:
- No significant separation was observed between the two taxa using DNA base composition; mol%(G+C) values ranged from 31-32%.
- DNA-DNA hybridization revealed high genetic relatedness (79% or more) between C. fecalis and C. sputorum subsp. bubulus.
- Catalase-positive C. fecalis strains exhibited genetic similarity to catalase-negative C. sputorum.
Conclusions:
- The genetic data do not support the separation of Campylobacter fecalis as a distinct species from C. sputorum subsp. bubulus.
- It is proposed that catalase-positive Campylobacter fecalis should be reclassified as a subspecies of the catalase-negative C. sputorum.
- This taxonomic revision refines the understanding of the Campylobacter genus and its species relationships.