A BIPHASIC APPROACH TO THE DETERMINATION OF THE PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC DIVERSITY OF SOME ANAEROBIC, CELLULOLYTIC, THERMOPHILIC, ROD-SHAPED BACTERIA

A biphasic approach, involving a numerical phenetic and a phylogenetic study, was used to determine diversity among some anaerobic, cellulolytic, thermophilic, rod-shaped bacteria. Ninety two characters were determined for 51 strains in the numerical taxonomy study, and partial 16S rDNA sequences from 16 isolates were compared. Both the phenetic and phylogenetic data indicate diversity within this group of organisms, and reveal the lack of similarity between sporogenous and asporogenous isolates. The results of the phylogenetic study demonstrate the lack of relationship of the majority of the strains studied to previously studied thermophilic bacteria. In general, good correlation exists between the two data sets, but discrepancies arise when strains with a high level of similarity are examined. The need for caution in the interpretation of data obtained from such a biphasic approach is discussed.