Deoxyribonucleotide Sequence Relationships Among Bordetella Species

Deoxyribonucleotide sequence relationships among currently recognized Bordetella species (Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica) were examined by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization involving the hydroxyapatite batch procedures of Brenner and co-workers. The results indicated that strains from all species tested were highly related. At the stringent criterion (80°C), the relative binding of B. pertussis DNA to B. parapertussis DNA was 75 ± 9%, and to B. bronchiseptica DNA it was 73 ± 8%. Intraspecies binding was 93 ± 8%. Under similar conditions, the relative binding of B. parapertussis DNA to B. bronchiseptica DNA was 85 ± 9%. The various so-called Bordetella species may be reconsidered as representing different subspecies belonging to a single species.