Acidovorax, a new genus for Pseudomonas facilis, Pseudomonas delafieldii, E. Falsen (EF) group 13, EF group 16, and several clinical isolates, with the species Acidovorax facilis comb. nov., Acidovorax delafieldii comb. nov., and Acidovorax temperans sp. nov.

Pseudomonas facilis and Pseudomonas delafieldii are inappropriately assigned to the genus Pseudomonas. They belong to the acidovorans rRNA complex in rRNA superfamily III (i.e., the beta subclass of the Proteobacteria). The taxonomic relationships of both of these species, two groups of clinical isolates (E. Falsen [EF] group 13 and EF group 16), and several unidentified or presently misnamed strains were examined by using DNA:rRNA hybridization, numerical analyses of biochemical and auxanographic features and of fatty acid patterns, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cellular proteins, and DNA:DNA hybridization. These organisms form a separate group within the acidovorans rRNA complex, and we propose to transfer them to a new genus, Acidovorax. We describe the following three species in this genus: the type species, Acidovorax facilis (formerly Pseudomonas facilis), with type strain LMG 2193 (= CCUG 2113 = ATCC 11228); Acidovorax delafieldii (for the former Pseudomonas delafieldii and most of the EF group 13 strains), with type strain LMG 5943 (= CCUG 1779 = ATCC 17505); and Acidovorax temperans (for several former Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes strains and most of the EF group 16 strains), with type strain CCUG 11779 (= LMG 7169).