Abstract
The content of guanine and cytosine in DNA of the violet-pigmented micrococci designated asStaphylococcus flavocyaneus andMicrococcus flavocyaneus varies within the range of 70.8 – 72.0%. These species have similar deoxyribonucleic acid base compositions and do not differ physiologically and morphologically: they both produce yellow and violet pigments, hydrolyse gelatin and casein, reduce nitrates and do not form lipase. Therefore we consider them in accordance with Kocur and Martinec (1962, 1963) identical. They do not, however, seem to be identical withMicrococcus luteus (Schroeter, 1872) Cohn 1872 because the content of guanine and cytosine in DNA of the neotype culture of this species was found to be 66.3%.Micrococcus luteus differs from the violet pigmented micrococci also physiologically. It does not produce violet pigment, does not hydrolyse gelatin and casein and does not produce urease. For the violet pigmented strainMicrococcus cyaneus the use of the original designation is recommended:Micrococcus cyaneus (Schroeter) Cohn 1872, as it differs from the other violet cocci not only physiologically — it does not produce yellow pigment, oxidises mannitol, dulcitol and sorbitol, produces lipase and does not hydrolyse casein — but also in its DNA base composition.
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Rosypalová, A., Boháček, J. & Rosypal, S. Deoxyribonucleic acid base composition and taxonomy of violet-pigmented cocci. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 32, 105–112 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02097450
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02097450