TRANSFER OF CONGLOMEROMONAS-LARGOMOBILIS SUBSP LARGOMOBILIS TO THE GENUS AZOSPIRILLUM AS AZOPIRILLUM-LARGOMOBILE COMB-NOV, AND ELEVATION OFCONGLOMEROMONAS-LARGOMOBILIS SUBSP PAROOENSIS TO THE NEW-TYPE SPECIESOF CONGLOMEROMONAS, CONGLOMEROMONAS-PAROOENSIS SP-NOV

Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence of Conglomeromonas largomobilis subs p. largomobilis supports a phylogenetic relationship with the species of the genus Azospirillum. This confirms results of previous nucleic a cid hybridization studies (FALK, E. C., J. L. JOHNSON, V. D. L. BALDAN I, J. DOBEREINER, and N. R. KRIEG. 1986. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 36: 80-85). Conglomeromonas largomobilis subsp. largomobilis was most clos ely related to the species Azospirillim lipoferum and Azospirillum bra silense but sufficiently distant to warrant separate species status. C onglomeromonas largomobilis subsp. parooensis was more distantly relat ed to the existing species of Azospirillum and represents an isolated subline of descent. On the basis of the phylogenetic evidence a prospo sal is made to transfer the subspecies Conglom-eromonas largomobilis s ubsp. largomobilis to the genus Azospirillum as Azospirillum largomobi le comb. nov. and to retain the genus Conglomeromonas by elevating the subspecies C. largomobilis subsp. parooensis to the type species of C onglomeromonas as Conglomeromonas parooensis sp. nov.