DNA:rRNA Hybridization Studies of Chromobacterium fluviatile

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Hybrids were prepared between 14C-labeled rRNA from each of 9 species of gram-negative bacteria and the DNA of C. fluviatile. Two parameters were determined for each hybrid: the Tm(e), which is the temperature at which 50% of the hybrid was denatured, and the percentage of rRNA bound under defined stringent conditions. The former gives a measure of the stability of the duplex once formed and the latter probably reflects the amount of the genome involved in the coding of rRNA. These parameters were used as a measure of the relatedness of C. fluviatile to each of the other 9 species. The results suggest that C. fluviatile is more closely related to C. violaceum than to any other species tested. The taxonomic relationship of C. fluviatile to other gram-negative bacteria was assessed by incorporating the results into a database already pulbished by De Ley et al. (1978) and the use of principal components analysis was explored as an alternative way of presenting such data. This analysis confirmed the isolated position of C. fluviatile but, until further isolates are studied, it seems best to retain the species in the genus Chromobacterium.