MOLECULAR TAXONOMY OF GRAM-POSITIVE MODERATELY HALOPHILIC COCCI

The Gram-positive moderately halophilic cocci validly described up to date are Micrococcus halobius, Sporosarcina halophila, Marinococcus ha lophilus, Marinococcus albus, Marinococcus hispanicus, and the recentl y proposed Salinicoccus roseus. Our chemotaxonomic studies on these ba cteria have revealed that Marinococcus hispanicus should be placed in the genus Salinicoccus. DNA-DNA hybridization studies showed that this species should be considered as a separate species of S. roseus. Thus , we have proposed transferring it to the genus Salinicoccus, as S. hi spanicus. Besides, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features of the cultu re collection moderate halophiles Micrococcus sp. strains CCM 168 and CCM 1405 indicate that they should be included in the species Salinico ccus roseus. The description of this species was based only on one str ain.