MORAXELLA-ATLANTAE SP-NOV AND ITS DISTINCTION FROM MORAXELLA-PHENYLPYROUVICA

A homogeneous group of gram-negative, rod-shaped and oxidase-positive bacterial strains, growing with small colonies, is described. In ordinary cultural-biochemical tests, the entity appeared most similar to M. phenylpyruvica, although it has so far been distinguished from that species by its simultaneous lack of urease and phenylalanine and tryptophan deaminase activities, inability to grow on solid medium at 4-10.degree. C, relative salt sensitivity and different behavior on bile-containing media. The fatty acid composition was very similar to that of M. phenylpyruvica, but the organism was distinguishable from the latter in containing a fatty alcohol, n-octadecanol and mannose. Its genetic affinity to M. phenylpyruvica and other recognized Moraxella spp. appeared very low, but was detectable by transformation. The guanine plus cytosine content of its DNA was 46.0-47.5 mol%, which is 2.5 to 4.0% higher than in M. phenylpyruvica. The entity is considered a new species of genus Moraxella and the name M. atlantae is proposed.