title: A numerical taxonomic study of Streptococcus sanguis, S. mitis and similar organisms using conventional tests and pyrolysis mass spectrometry.
abstract: Numerical taxonomic methods were applied to the results of pyrolysis mass spectrometry (Py-MS) and conventional test reaction patterns (CTRPs) obtained with 46 strains of oral streptococci identified as representative of six species. Of these: Streptococcus gordonii strains formed a single homogeneous well-differentiated cluster both in the Py-MS and CTRP analyses; S. oralis strains were more diverse, forming 2 CTRP and 3 Py-MS clusters; S. crista, S. parasanguis and S. sanguis formed clear, but diverse and poorly differentiated clusters on the basis of CTRPs, and were poorly differentiated in the Py-MS analysis; and S. mitis strains were clearly diverse in both analyses. Peritrichously fimbriate ('tufted') S. mitis strains formed a tight cluster, well differentiated from the type strain in both Py-MS and CTRP analyses, and may represent a previously unrecognised centre of variation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hindmarch
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification*; D013298:Streptococcus sanguis / Q000145:classification*