Opinion: Re-evaluating prokaryotic species.
There is no widely accepted concept of species for prokaryotes, and assignment of isolates to species is based on measures of phenotypic or genome similarity. The current methods for defining prokaryotic species are inadequate and incapable of keeping pace with the levels of diversity that are being uncovered in nature. Prokaryotic taxonomy is being influenced by advances in microbial population genetics, ecology and genomics, and by the ease with which sequence data can be obtained. Here, we review the classical approaches to prokaryotic species definition and discuss the current and future impact of multilocus nucleotide-sequence-based approaches to prokaryotic systematics. We also consider the potential, and difficulties, of assigning species status to biologically or ecologically meaningful sequence clusters.
Gevers
Dirk
D
Laboratory of Microbiology and the Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Ghent University/VIB, Ghent, Belgium. dirk.gevers@UGent.be
Cohan
Frederick M
FM
Lawrence
Jeffrey G
JG
Spratt
Brian G
BG
Coenye
Tom
T
Feil
Edward J
EJ
Stackebrandt
Erko
E
Van de Peer
Yves
Y
Vandamme
Peter
P
Thompson
Fabiano L
FL
Swings
Jean
J
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny
D004269:DNA, Bacterial