CLASSIFICATION OF HEPARINOLYTIC BACTERIA INTO A NEW GENUS, PEDOBACTER, COMPRISING 4 SPECIES - PEDOBACTER-HEPARINUS COMB, NOV., PEDOBACTER-PISCIUM COMB. NOV., PEDOBACTER-AFRICANUS SP. NOV. AND PEDOBACTER-SALTANS SP. NOV - PROPOSAL OF THE FAMILY SPHINGOBACTERIACEAE FAM. NOV

Sixteen heparinase-producing isolates, related to Sphingobacterium hep arinum, were grouped into three major clusters by SDS-PAGE and DNA-rRN A hybridizations, Based on a polyphasic approach, it was shown that is olates of two of these clusters and S. heparinum species belong to a n ew genus for which the name Pedobacter is proposed. The genus consists of Pedobacter heparinus comb. nov, (formerly Sphingobacterium heparin um), which is the type species, Pedobacter piscium comb. nov. (formerl y Sphingobacterium piscium), Pedobacter africanus sp. nov, and Pedobac ter saltans sp, nov, and four as-yet-unnamed DNA hybridization groups, All the previously named taxa can be discriminated by phenotypic feat ures, but have strong overall similarities with representatives of the genus Sphingobacterium and the misclassified species [Flexibacter] ca nadensis. All these organisms constitute a separate rRNA branch in rRN A superfamily V for which the family Sphingobacteriaceae fam, nov, is proposed.