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Title: DESCRIPTION OF PAENIBACILLUS ILLINOISENSIS SP. NOV. AND PAENIBACILLUS CHIBAENSIS SP., AND EMENDED DESCRIPTION OF PAENIBACILLUS AMYLOLYTICUS

Author
item SHIDA, OSAMU - HIGETA SHOYU CO., LTD
item TAKAGI, HIROAKI - HIGETA SHOYU CO., LTD
item KADOWAKI, KIYOSHI - HIGETA SHOYU CO., LTD
item Nakamura, Lawrence
item KOMAGATA, KAZUO - TOKYO UNIV OF AGRICULTURE

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: An organism called Paenibacillus amylolyticus and an unnamed bacterial group produce valuable enzymes and are able to degrade environmentally harmful chemicals. The uncertainty of their classifications prompted the study of these organisms. Paenibacillus amylolyticus was described accurately and two new bacterial species were recognized, namely, Paenibacillus chibanensis and Paenibacillus illinoisensis. This new classification will enable agricultural and industrial researchers to economically and positively isolate and identify species showing agriculturally or industrially useful characteristics such as enzyme production and degradation of unwanted chemicals.

Technical Abstract: The taxonomic positions of strains formerly assigned to Paenibacillus amylolyticus and Bacillus circulans (unidentified group six described by Nakamura in 1983) were determined. Amplification of a 16S gene fragment with specific primers and comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences warrant the inclusion of the above-mentioned strains in the genus Paenibacillus. DNA reassociation among these strains revealed four groups (designated groups I, II, III, and IV), each with high (>70%) intragroup relatedness. Clustering based on phenotypic characteristics shows a good correlation with the DNA relatedness grouping. P. amylolyticus strains were scattered into groups I, III, and IV. Organisms identified as type strains of P. amylolyticus from different culture collections appeared in groups I and IV. Strains in group I were identified as P. amylolyticus sensu stricto and a strain in group IV was identified as Paenibacillus lautus. Therefore, we propose the neotype strain NRRL B-14945 for P. paenibacillus and the emendation of this species. Groups II and III were phenotypically and genetically independent and distinguishable from known species. Based on these findings, we propose the names Paenibacillus illinoisensis sp. nov. for group II and Paenibacillus chibanensis sp. nov. for group III.