Hi Folks,
A question for the taxonomists out there.
I have approx 100 Thermus sp. isolates. I want to find if any could
potentially be new Thermus species ie are different from Thermus aquaticus
YT1, Thermus brockianus and Thermus thermophilus. I don't want to find
how related they are to one another just whether they are different
from valid species. There are a lot of Thermus isolates around but
taxonomy is kind of in its infancy in this species.
Now I know I can do DNA/DNA hybridisation but that takes a lot of
time if you are not set up and are starting from scratch. I can do
16SrRNA RFLP patterns either on PCR'd 16S or by southerns with a 16s
probe. I know from a students work that Fusobacterium species have
unique rRNA RFLP patterns specific for the species but does this
apply to other organisms. Is there any other method that is quick
and reasonable valid. I don't want to have to have to sequence 100
16SrRNA variable regions! I don't want to propose anything as a new
species on whatever method I settle on, Ijust want pointers towards novel
species. Classical microbiology on 100 isolates will take too much
work at this stage.
Many thanks
Duncan
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Duncan Clark | Internet: duncan at genesys.demon.co.uk
G4ELJ | Compuserve: 100015.1406 at compuserve.com
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