Polynucleotide sequence relatedness and genome size among Enterobacter intermedium sp. nov. and the species Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

A DNA-DNA hybridization study was carried out on a new group of Enterobacteriaceae (group H₁). The highest relative binding ratios were found with the species E. cloacae (37 to 61%) and K. pneumoniae (44 to 60%), The labelling of E. cloacae CUETM 77–120 and K. pneumoniae CUETM 77–169 DNA showed 27 to 32% and 20 to 35%, respectively, of relatedness with the group H₁. According to phenotypic data (numerical taxonomy) and genetic data (GC%, DNA/DNA hybridization and relative genome size: K. pneumoniae CUETM 77–169: 100, E. cloacae CUETM 77–120: 80, group H₁ CUETM 77–130: 58), the group H₁ represents a new species to be called Enterobacter intermedium.