A numerical taxonomic study of the "Streptococcus milleri" group based upon conventional phenotypic tests and pyrolysis mass spectrometry.

Clinical strains presumptively identified as Streptococcus milleri (60), and blind coded collection strains (21) were characterised in conventional tests and pyrolysis mass spectrometry. Comparison of the clusters found by these two approaches revealed five clearly distinct centres of variation. Three corresponded to the DNA homology groups suggested by Whiley and Hardie (1989) as representing the species S. anginosus, S. intermedius and S. constellatus; a fourth comprised three Lancefield group C beta-haemolytic strains; the fifth may represent a biotype of S. anginosus. The characteristics of the latter group are described.