CLASSIFICATION OF PSEUDOMONAS-DIMINUTA LEIFSON AND HUGH 1954 AND PSEUDOMONAS-VESICULARIS BUSING, DOLL, AND FREYTAG 1953 IN BREVUNDIMONAS GEN-NOV AS BREVUNDIMONAS-DIMINUTA COMB-NOV AND BREVUNDIMONAS-VESICULARISCOMB-NOV, RESPECTIVELY

The taxonomic positions of strains previously assigned to Pseudomonas diminuta and Pseudomonas vesicularis were investigated by a polyphasic approach. The results of DNA-rRNA hybridization studies indicated tha t these two species belong to a separate genus in the cu subclass (rRN A superfamily IV) of the Proteobacteria, for which the name Brevundimo nas is proposed. Genus delineation and species delineation were determ ined by comparing the results of numerical analyses of whole-cell prot ein patterns, fatty acid compositions, and phenotypic characteristics and by measuring DNA base ratios and degrees of DNA relatedness. Taxon omic characteristics of Brevundimonas diminuta and Brevundimonas vesic ularis strains were compared with characteristics of reference strains belonging to the following phylogenetically related taxa: a group of organisms gathered in Enevold Falsen group 21, the genera Sphingomonas and Rhizomonas, and the generically misclassified organisms [Pseudomo nas] echinoides and ''[Pseudomonas] riboflavina.''