CELLULAR FATTY ACIDS AND QUINONE SYSTEMS OF OLIGOTROPHIC SOIL BACTERIA

Abstract

The cellular fatty acids of 88 bacterial isolates were analyzed, including 46 strains which did not grow on full-strength nutrient broth (NB) but grew on its 100-fold dilution (DNB organisms) and 42 strains which grew on both NB and its 100-fold dilution (NB organisms). All strains were grouped into 14 clusters according to their fatty acid composition, using average linkage cluster analysis and similarity values based on correlation coefficients. Among these 14 clusters, five comprised only DNB organisms and six comprised NB organisms. In the remaining three clusters, DNB organisms and NB organisms were not segregated with respect to similarity values based on their fatty acid composition, but were distinguished on the basis of other bacteriological characteristics such as quinone systems, cell morphology, or other physiological characteristics.