Identification of microbial isolates by DNA fingerprinting: analysis of ATCC Zymomonas strains

Nine Zymomonas strains available from the American Type Culture Collection were analyzed with a technique of restriction endonucleases fingerprinting of total DNA based on the combined use of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining. The pattern analysis was performed with a densitometer and a personal computer. Strains isolated independently showed very different fingerprints while strains obtained by mutagenesis had patterns identical to the parent. However, in one case it was possible to distinguish a mutant from the parent by the absence of a band in its fingerprint. The analysis of Zymomonas total protein extracts by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis could not reveal any remarkable difference. The DNA fingerprinting similarity coefficients fitted very well with a previous taxonomical study based on classical tests, and confirmed the nomenclature problems regarding the Zymomonas CP4 strain pointed out in a recent paper (Yablonsky et al., 1988, J. Biotechnol. 9, 71-80). Furthermore a Zymomonas strain isolated in Argentina was compared with ATCC strains showing a geographical correlation with other strains isolated in South America. On the basis of fingerprinting analysis it was possible to refer this strain to the subspecies mobilis.