COMPARATIVE GENOME ANALYSIS OF BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS BY RIBOTYPING, M13HYBRIDIZATION, AND M13 POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION FINGERPRINTING

A comparative genome analysis of 15 strains representing the five homo logy groups of the highly heterogenous species Bacillus sphaericus was performed by M13 hybridization fingerprinting, M13 polymerase chain r eaction fingerprinting, and ribotyping with the whole rrn operon. The computer cluster analyses of the polymorphic patterns, presented in de ndrograms, showed that these methods allow the differentiation of the individual strains and some homology groups. Our results confirm the c lose genetic relatedness of the mosquito pathogenic strains of group I IA and support the idea for differentiation of a separate species. At the same time, we present additional proof of the significant genetic heterogeneity of B. sphaericus and the necessity of reconsideration of its present classification.