Chemical characterization of Flavobacterium odoratum, Flavobacterium breve, and Flavobacterium-like groups IIe, IIh, and IIf.

The cellular fatty acid, sphingolipid, and isoprenoid quinone compositions of Flavobacterium odoratum, Flavobacterium breve, and Flavobacterium-like groups IIe, IIh, and IIf were determined, using thin-layer, gas-liquid, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The fatty acid data showed that groups IIe, IIh, and IIf were similar to recognized Flavobacterium species by the presence of relatively large amounts of iso-branched hydroxy and nonhydroxy acids. Groups IIe and IIh were essentially identical in fatty acid composition but were distinguished from group IIf, F. breve, and F. odoratum on the basis of minor qualitative and quantitative differences. All strains tested contained menaquinone 6 as the major isoprenoid quinone, and all lacked sphingolipids. Overall, the chemical data suggest that groups IIe, IIh, and IIf are additional Flavobacterium species and are different from sphingobacteria, which contain sphingolipid and menaquinone 7 as the major quinone.