TAXONOMIC STUDY OF THE GENUS BRACHYBACTERIUM - PROPOSAL OF BRACHYBACTERIUM-CONGLOMERATUM SP-NOV, NOM REV, BRACHYBACTERIUM-PARACONGLOMERATUM SP-NOV, AND BRACHYBACTERIUM-RHAMNOSUM SP-NOV

On the basis of morphological, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization data, we describe three new Brachybacterium species: Brachybacterium conglomeratum sp. nov., nom. rev. (type strain, IFO 15472); Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum sp. nov. (type strain, IFO 15224); and Brachybacterium rhamnosum sp. nov. (type strain, LFO 15203). These new species include some previously misclassified strains and an isolate obtained from corn steep liquor. Although B. conglomeratum and B. paraconglomeratum are similar in their physiological characteristics, they can be differentiated on the basis of their cellular fatty acid patterns and low levels of DNA-DNA hybridization. B. rhamnosum is characterized by the presence of large amounts of rhamnose in its cell wall.