Deoxyribonucleic Acid Homology Among Lactobacillus Species of the Subgenus Streptobacterium Orla-Jensen

The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) relationship among Lactobacillus species of the subgenus Streptobacterium Orla-Jensen was assessed by means of DNA/DNA hybridization experiments. High genetic homologies were found among Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei, L. casei subsp. alactosus, L. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum, and L. casei subsp. tolerans; however, there was only a low level of homology between the DNA of L. casei subsp. rhamnosus and the DNA of other subspecies of L. casei. The DNAs of Lactobacterium zeae ATCC 15820 and L. casei subsp. casei ATCC 393 were nearly completely homologous. Although the latter strain has been proposed as the neotype for L. casei, it is not related to any of the other strains within the subspecies of L. casei. Lactobacillus plantarum and strains identified as belonging to L. plantarum subsp. rudensis and L. plantarum subsp. arabinosus formed a fairly homogeneous and easily recognized group. The DNA of Lactobacillus pentosus was unrelated to that of any known streptobacteria, and we therefore advocate the recognition of this organism as an independent species. There is a high degree of homology between Lactobacillus sake and Lactobacillus homohiochi; the name L. sake has priority, and L. homohiochi is very probably a synonym; for the same reason, Lactobacillus yamanashiensis has priority over its later subjective synonym, Lactobacillus mali. The general DNA/DNA homology relationships among Lactobacillus casei, L. plantarum, L. coryniformis, L. curvatus, L. xylosus, L. alimentarius, L. farciminis, and Sporolactobacillus inulinus justify their status as separate species.

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