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Towards a phylogeny of the actinomycetes and related organisms

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Abstract

The method of 16S ribosomal RNA oligonucleotide cataloging has been used to establish phylogenetic relationships among a number of genera of actinomycetes and related organisms. The findings serve as a starting point for a restructuring of actinomycete taxonomy. Several genera, such asThermoactinomyces andEubacterium, do not belong with the group, and the species of at least one atypical genus,Micrococcus, must be included therein. The general tendency to classify within the group according to morphological complexity was shown to be phylogenetically invalid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Techische Universität München, Arcisstrasse 21, D-8000, München 2, Federal Republic of Germany

    Erko Stackebrandt

  2. Department of Genetics and Development, University of Illinois, 515 Morrill Hall, 61801, Urbana, Illinois, USA

    Carl R. Woese

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  1. Erko Stackebrandt
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  2. Carl R. Woese
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Stackebrandt, E., Woese, C.R. Towards a phylogeny of the actinomycetes and related organisms. Current Microbiology 5, 197–202 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01571146

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