CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF CAMPYLOBACTER-SPUTORUM USING NUMERICAL-ANALYSES OF PHENOTYPIC TESTS AND OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL ELECTROPHORETIC PROTEIN PROFILES

The application of numerical analyses of phenotypic tests and sodium-d odecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic protein profiles in the classification and identification of Campylobacter sputorum was e xamined. Thirty-eight strains received, or isolated as, representative s of each of the defined biovars of Campylobacter sputorum (i.e. bubul us, fecalis, and sputorum), along with seventeen type or reference str ains of other Campylobacter; Arcobacter, and Helicobacter species, wer e studied. The results from both analyses indicated, (i) that thirty-t wo strains formed a distinct cluster which included the type strain of C. sputorum, confirming their identity as members of this species, (i i) that catalase-positive strains of C. sputorum are associated with f aeces, (iii) that the normal subdivision of catalase-negative C. sputo rum strains into two source-specific biovars is invalid. Thus, catalas e-positive strains of C. sputorum should remain as biovar fecalis and catalase-negative strains (i.e. biovars sputorum and bubulus) should b e unified as a single biovar sputorum and the biovar bubulus discarded . Five oral isolates initially believed to be C. sputorum biovar sputo rum were identified as potentially novel campylobacters. Numerical ana lysis of both types of data used were shown to be effective methods of classifying and identifying campylobacters and allied taxa.