Revision of the family Chlamydiaceae Rake (Rickettsiales): unification of the psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereum-trachoma group of organisms in the genus Chlamydia Jones, Rake and Stearns, 1945
Since 1945, taxonomists have made no less than seven attempts to define the bacteria of the family Chlamydiaceae Rake which includes the etiologic agents of psittacosis, lymphogranuloma venereum, and trachoma. These bacteria are often designated by the vernacular term, PLT group of agents. Classification's were proposed by Moshovsky (1945), Rake (1948,1957), Krasil'nikov (1949), Zhdanov and Korenblit (1949), Rhyzkov (1950), Zhdanov (1953) and Levaditi, Roger and Destombes (1964). The result was to increase the number of genera for the PLT group culminating in the Levaditi et al. proposal of four genera for this bacterial group: Chlamydia Rake, Miyagawanella Brumpt, Bedsonia Meyer, and Rakeia Levaditi, Roger and Destombes. Evidence for continued recognition of these genera was examined in the light of recent knowledge of PLT organisms, and the validity of each name according to the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria and Viruses was ascertained. On the grounds that the taxonomic significance of properties common to bacteria of the PLT