Dna base composition, susceptibility to bacteriophages, and interspecific transformation as criteria for classification in the genus Bacillus

• Published in: Journal of general and applied microbiology Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 353 - 362
• Main Authors: IKEDA, Yonosuke, SAITO, Hiuga, MIURA, Kin-Ichiro, TAKAGI, Jun, AOKI, Hatsuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Microbiology Research Foundation 01.12.2004
• Subjects: Bacillus; Bacillus - chemistry; Bacillus - classification; Bacillus - genetics; Bacillus - virology; Bacillus Phages - pathogenicity; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Bacteriophage Typing; Base Composition; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Transformation, Genetic; Virus; Bacillales; DNA; Bacillus; Classification; Bacteria; Chemical composition; Bacillaceae; Phage
• ISSN: 0022-1260

With 25 strains belonging to 12 species of the genus Bacillus, the base composition of DNA, the susceptibility to bacteriophages, and the ability to transform Bacillus subtilis strain Marburg were studied. Analyses of phage DNAs were also performed. The results were as follows: (1) The DNA base compositions were not uniform even among strains belonging to one taxonomic species. (2) The DNAs extracted from B. natto, B. megaterium and B. polymyxa could transform genetic traits of B. subtilis Marburg although the frequencies were not equal. (3) The host ranges of some temperate bacteriophages were correlated with the taxonomical data. On these bases, the phylogenetic relatedness of B. subtilis to B. megaterium was discussed.