EVALUATION OF STREPTOMYCES SPECIES-GROUPS BY PYROLYSIS MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Curie-point pyrolysis mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the taxon omic integrity of three subclusters, provisionally labelled S. albidof lavus, S. anulatus and S. halstedii, which formed a species-group in a n extensive numerical phenetic survey of the genus Streptomyces. Excel lent agreement was found between the results of the triplicate analyse s of each strain while the duplicated strains clustered adjacent to on e another. Sequential principal component-canonical variates analysis of the experimental data collected on the 32 representative organisms showed that the S. albidoflavus strains formed a distinct group. This result taken together with earlier chemical, molecular and numerical t axonomic data indicates that the S. albidoflavus subcluster correspond s to a distinct species. In contrast, the subclusters equated with S. anulatus and S. halstedii were found to be heterogeneous and hence in need of further study. However, it is evident from the present investi gation that Curie-point pyrolysis mass spectrometry provides a rapid a nd reproducible way of evaluating the taxonomic integrity of Steptomyc es species-groups.