Some characteristics of green-fluorescent pigment-producing bacteria

Since Schroeter (1872) first isolated and described an organism producing a green-fluorescent pigment, information on this particular type of organism has consistently appeared in the literature. RfiAi6ka (1899) studied a small group of fluorescent organisms and concluded that the group could be separated into two parts, one closely related to the semi-pathogenic Bacterium pyocyaneum, the other to Bacterium fluorescens-liquefaciens. A study of 15 organisms convinced Niederkorn (1900) that there were only two constant species. Jordan (1903) separated 58 strains into two groups on the basis of gelatin liquefaction. Edson and Carpenter (1912) separated 42 strains, isolated from Vermont maple sap, into seven groups, on the basis of hydrogen sulphide production, reduction of nitrates, growth on Uschinsky's solution, growth on Cohn's nutrient solution and action on gelatin and milk. They concluded that representatives of the seven groups plus six other species can not be sufficiently well differentiated to warrant calling them other than "liquefaciens " or "non-liquefaciens " strains of Pseudo-monas fluorescens. Tanner (1918) found in the literature more than 95 species,