title: A Phylogenetic Analysis of Lactobacilli, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides.
abstract: Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. helveticus, L. lactis, L. brevis, L. plantarum, L. ruminis, L. casei, L. bifermentans, L. viridescens, L. fermentum, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides have been characterized by oligonucleotide cataloguing of their 16 S ribosomal RNAs. All Lactobacillus species investigated together with P. pentosaceus and L. mesenteroides form a phylogenetically coherent and ancient group. L. acidophilus and L. helveticus is the only closely related pair of species; all other species are only remotely related among each other, indicating that they are well-defined species. Lactobacillus, together with Streptococcus and Bacillus, constitute a super-cluster within the 'clostridium' sub-branch of Gram-positive eubacteria showing a low guanine plus cytosine content of their deoxyribonucleic acid.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität, München, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stackebrandt
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Woese