Transformation assay for identification of psychrotrophic achromobacters.

The finding that many psychrotrophic, gram-negative, nonmotile, oxidase-positive coccobacilli (achromobacters) are competent for genetic transformation made possible the development of a transformation assay that permits recognition of genetically related strains. It has been demonstrated that 109 independently isolated achromobacters are genetically related since deoxyribonucleic acid samples from all of these organisms were able to transform a single competent auxotrophic strain to prototrophy. Genetically interacting bacteria included strains that lacked one or more of the characteristics typical for most achromobacters. An oxidase-negative mutant of one of these strains reacted positively in the transformation assay, unlike other oxidase-negative bacteria. Achromobacters were derived from fish, poultry, irradiated foods, seawater, and other sources. One strain previously classified as Micrococcus cryophilus has been shown to be related to the achromobacters. Two achromobacters had an optimum growth temperature of 35 degrees C and behaved as typical mesophiles. The moraxellae and Acinetobacter were shown to be unrelated to the achromobacters by using the transformation assay. The ready demonstration of genetic relatedness provides a new basis for taxonomic grouping of the psychrotrophic achromobacters.