Identification of eubacteria isolated from leaf cavities of four species of the N-fixing azolla fern as arthrobacter conn and dimmick.

The nutritional and physiological characteristics of 15 isolates from four species of the Azolla fern were determined. Although some minor variation existed in levels of urease activity, ability to utilize xylose, and formation of N(2) gas from NO(3), all 15 isolates were rather similar and believed to represent a single species. These eubacteria exhibited aminopeptidase activity and became viscous when treated with KOH, similar to gram-negative organisms; however, the absence of lipopolysaccharide and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate in cell walls indicated that they are truly gram-positive organisms. They are unusual because peptidoglycan could not be detected during most of their growth cycle. The presence of lysine as the major diamino acid in cell wall hydrolysates, the inability to hydrolyze cellulose, and the distinctive developmental pattern with rods and "V" forms present during log phase, becoming progressively shorter until cocci dominated during stationary and death phases, indicated that these organisms belong to the genus Arthrobacter Conn and Dimmick. With the exception of the inability to hydrolyze gelatin, their characteristics are consistent with those of the type species, Arthrobacter globiformis Conn and Dimmick.