Biological and Chemical Basis for the Reclassification of Microbacterium flavum Orla-Jensen as Corynebacterium flavescens nom. nov.

Abstract

On the basis of its biological properties (cell morphology, staining reactions, cellular inclusions, guanine + cytosine content of DNA, degree of DNA homology with C. diphtheriae strain PW8 and pattern of enzymic capacities) and chemical structures (peptidoglycan type, major cell wall polysaccharide, major phospholipids and glycolipid, and characteristic cell wall fatty acids), Microbacterium flavum Orla-Jensen (synonym: Mycobacterium flavum Jensen) is renamed C. flavescens nom. nov. The specific epithet flavum was changed to flavescens avoid the creation of a later homonym of C. flavum Kisskalt and Berend 1918. Strain 8 of Orla-Jensen (= ATCC 10340 = NCIB 8707) is herein designated the type strain of C. flavescens. An updated description of the organism is given.