Classification of metal-resistant bacteria from industrial biotopes as Ralstonia campinensis sp nov., Ralstonia metallidurans sp nov and Ralstonia basilensis Steinle et al. 1998 emend.

Thirty-one heavy-metal-resistant bacteria isolated from industrial biotopes were subjected to polyphasic characterization, including 16S rDNA sequence analysis, DNA-DNA hybridizations, biochemical tests, whole-cell protein an d fatty-acid analyses. All strains were shown to belong to the Ralstonia br anch of the fi-Proteobacteria. Whole-cell protein profiles and DNA-DNA hybr idizations revealed two clearly distinct groups, showing low similarity to known Ralstonia species. These two groups, of 8 and 17 isolates, were assig ned to two new species, for which the names Ralstonia campinensis sp. nov. and Ralstonia metallidurans sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are WS2 (T) (= LMG 19282(T) = CCUG 44526(T)) and CH34(T) (= LMG 1195(T) = DSM 2839( T)), respectively. Six isolates were allocated to Ralstonia basilensis, whi ch presently contains only the type strain; an emendation of the latter spe cies description is therefore proposed.