Cellulolytic and dextranolytic Gram‐negative bacteria: revival of the genus Cellvibrio

B lackall , L inda L., H ayward , A.C. & S ly , L.I. 1985. Cellulolytic and dextranolytic Gram‐negative bacteria: revival of the genus Cellvibrio. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 59 , 81–97. Nine bacterial strains were isolated from rhizosphere soils by enrichment in a defined mineral salts medium containing either cellulose or dextran as the sole carbon source. These and 17 reference strains, including representatives of two species of the invalid genus Cellvibrio , were characterized on morphological, biochemical and physiological properties. Numerical analyses were performed on the results using two different measures of similarity and methods of clustering. Eight of the nine isolates, three unnamed reference strains and the strains of Cellvibrio showed a high level of similarity and comprised a single cluster in both methods of analysis. The salient properties of strains in this cluster were: Gram‐negative, aerobic, slender rods, some having a slightly curved axis; mixed flagellation; oxida‐tive metabolism of glucose; extensive hydrolytic ability on complex polysaccharides; production of curdlan polysaccharide on glucose. Revival of the genus Cellvibrio (Winogradsky 1929) gen. nov., with an amended description and a new type species Cellvibrio mixtus sp. nov. is proposed.