International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (2009), 59, 2122–2128 DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.003566-0 Emended descriptions of the genera Myxococcus and Corallococcus, typification of the species Myxococcus stipitatus and Myxococcus macrosporus and a proposal that they be represented by neotype strains. Request for an Opinion Elke Lang and Erko Stackebrandt Correspondence DSMZ – Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstr. Elke Lang 7B, 38124 Braunschweig Germany
[email protected] The genus Corallococcus was separated from the genus Myxococcus mainly on the basis of differences in morphology and consistency of swarms and fruiting bodies of the respective members. Phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and physiological evidence is presented here that underpins the separate status of these phylogenetically neighbouring genera. Emended descriptions of the two genera are presented. The data also suggest that the species Corallococcus macrosporus belongs to the genus Myxococcus. To the best of our knowledge, the type strains of the species Myxococcus macrosporus and Myxococcus stipitatus are not available from any established culture collection or any other source. A Request for an Opinion is made regarding the proposal that strain Cc m8 (5DSM 14697 5CIP 109128) be formally recognized as the neotype strain for the species Myxococcus macrosporus, replacing the designated type strain Windsor M271T, and that strain Mx s8 (5DSM 14675 5JCM 12634) be formally recognized as the neotype strain for the species Myxococcus stipitatus, replacing the designated type strain Windsor M78T. Introduction The genus Myxococcus was described by Thaxter (1892), Within the family Myxococcaceae, delineation of genera, who first recognized that the myxobacteria, formerly descriptions of species and affiliations of strains to species assigned to the fungi, were in fact bacteria.