LACTOBACILLUS-CURVATUS SUBSP CURVATUS SUBSP NOV AND LACTOBACILLUS-CURVATUS SUBSP MELIBIOSUS SUBSP NOV AND LACTOBACILLUS-SAKE SUBSP SAKE SUBSP NOV AND LACTOBACILLUS-SAKE SUBSP CARNOSUS SUBSP NOV, NEW SUBSPECIESOF LACTOBACILLUS-CURVATUS ABO-ELNAGA AND KANDLER 1965 AND LACTOBACILLUS-SAKE KATAGIRI, KITAHARA, AND FUKAMI 1934 (KLEIN ET-AL 1996, EMENDEDDESCRIPTIONS), RESPECTIVELY

Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus sake are each genetically hom ogeneous species, as indicated by the high levels of DNA homology (gre ater than or equal to 76%) exhibited by strains of these ta?ra, Howeve r, the results of a numerical analysis of total soluble cell protein p atterns and biochemical test data revealed that there are two phenotyp ic subgroups within L. curvatus and two phenotypic subgroups within L. sake. The overall randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR band patterns obtained for the majority of L. curvatus strains corresponded well to the pattern obtained for the type strain of L. curvatus (stra in DSM 20019), However, six strains of L. curvatus had different, but similar, RAPD-PCR profiles and grouped in a separate genetic duster, w hich was linked to one of the clusters of L. sake strains, On the basi s of these results, differences in biochemical and physiological chara cteristics, and total soluble cell protein profiles, we describe the s ubspecies L. curvatus subsp, curvatus subsp, nov, and L. curvatus subs p, melibiosus subsp, nov, for L. curvatus Abo-Elnaga and Kandler 1965 (Klein et at. 1996, emended description), Strains oft. sake grouped in two RAPD-PCR clusters, which was consistent with previous reports of phenotypic heterogeneity, Strains of Lactobacillus bavaricus, includin g type strain LMG 9844, clustered with the type strain oft. sake (stra in NCFB 2714), indicating that these organisms belong to the same gene tic group, We propose that strains of L. sake Katagiri, Kitahara, and Fukami 1934 (Klein et al. 1996, emended description) should be reclass ified as members of L. sake subsp. sake subsp, nov, and L,. sake subsp . carnosus subsp, nov, Strains oft. bavaricus are reclassified as memb ers oft. sake subsp, sake, and the name L. bavaricus Stetter and Stett er 1980 is rejected.