Differentiation of Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens and Gluconacetobacter xylinus on the basis of DNA base composition, DNA relatedness, and oxidation products from glucose
Rr. Navarro et K. Komagata, Differentiation of Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens and Gluconacetobacter xylinus on the basis of DNA base composition, DNA relatedness, and oxidation products from glucose, J GEN A MIC, 45(1), 1999, pp. 7-15
Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens and Gluconacetobacter xylinus share very sim
ilar phenotypic characteristics. They are differentiated by the production
of a reddish-brown water-soluble pigment of the former and cellulose produc
tion of the latter. However, the loss of the two distinguishing features qu
estions the separate standings of the two species. The DNA base composition
and the DNA relatedness of strains of the two species, including other est
ablished species of acetic acid bacteria, were determined. G. liquefaciens
strains had the higher guanine-plus-cytosine content (G+C content) in DNA,
ranging from 63.5 to 66.9 mol%, and G. xylinus had the lower range, from 59
.4 to 63.2 mol%. DNA hybridization revealed a low level of DNA similarity b
etween the two species. G. liquefaciens strains produced 2,5-diketogluconic
acid and pyrones from glucose, and G, xylinus strains produced 5-ketogluco
nic acid. From these results, it is unequivocal that G. liquefaciens is a d
istinct species from G. xylinus.