Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The proposal by Henriksen and Bøvre in 1968 to transfer Neisseria catarrhalis, N. caviae, and N. ovis to the genus Moraxella has been supported by recent genetic and chemotaxonomic studies. The proposal by B. W. Catlin (Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 20:155-159) in 1970 to transfer N. catarrhalis to a new genus, Branhamella, has not been followed by similar proposals for the other two coccal species, although occasionally they have been referred to informally as members of Branhamella. As a compromise so as to facilitate communication between adherents to these different taxonomies, it is presently proposed to divide the genus Moraxella Lwoff 1939 emend. Henriksen and Bøvre 1968 into two subgenera—subgenus Moraxella (Lwoff 1939) Bøvre 1979 for the six rod-shaped species (Moraxella lacunata, M. bovis, M. nonliquefaciens, M. osloensis, M. phenylpyruvica, and M. atlantae) and subgenus Branhamella for the three coccal species. Strain 199/55 (= ATCC 33078 = NCTC 11227) is here proposed as the neotype strain of Moraxella (Branhamella) ovis (Lindqvist 1960) Henriksen and Bøvre 1968, Bøvre 1979.
K Bøvre (Mon,) studied this question.