COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF 16S RIBOSOMAL-RNA SEQUENCES OF THERMUS SPECIES

Partial 16S rRNA sequences of six Thermus or Thermus-like bacteria isolated from hot spring environments were determined using the reverse transcriptase dideoxy sequencing method. All of these sequences are related, and as a group show phylogenetic affinity with Deinococcus radiodurans. Sequences for “Thermus thermophilus” and “Thermus flavus” are indistinguishable. Thermus aquaticus, a Thermus-like Yellowstone hot spring cyanobacterial mat isolate, Thermus filiformis and “T. thermophilus”/“T. flavus” have distinct sequences which form a loose cluster. Thermus ruher is more distantly related to the other Thermus species. © 1990, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart · New York. All rights reserved.