RHODOCOCCUS LUTEUS IS A LATER SUBJECTIVE SYNONYM OF RHODOCOCCUS FASCIANS

The results of DNA-DNA hybridization studies and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence comparisons and chemotaxonomic data clearly indicated that Rhodococcus luteus Nesterenko et al. 1982 (O. A. Nesterenko, T. M. Nogina, S. A. Kasumova, E. I. Kvasnikow, and S. G. Batrakov, Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 32:1-14, 1982) and Rhodococcus fascians (Tilford) Goodfellow 1984 (M. Goodfellow, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 5:225-229, 1984) represent a single species. On the basis of priority R. luteus must be considered a later subjective synonym of R. fascians.