The 16S rRNA gene sequences of Sarcina ventriculi DSM 286T (T = type strain) and Sarcina maxima DSM 316T were determined. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these two species are closely related to each other and belong to group I Clostridium (sensu Johnson and Francis). The implications of these phylogenetic findings for future revision of the genus Clostridium are discussed.

A DNA-relaxing enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of superhelical DNA to a non-superhelical covalently closed form has been purified from Micrococcus luteus to near homogeneity by two chromatographic steps. The enzyme is a single polypeptide chain. As determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration on Sephadex G 150, the molecular weight is 115,00...

Resting cells of Micrococcus luteus have been shown to remove strontium (Sr) from dilute aqueous solutions of SrCl(2) at pH 7. Loadings of 25 mg of Sr per g of cell dry weight were achieved by cells exposed to a solution containing 50 ppm (mg/liter) of Sr. Sr binding occurred in the absence of nutrients and did not require metabolic activity. Initial binding was quite rapid (<0.5 h), although a...

Nucleoside diphosphokinase activity is present in highly purified preparations of DNA polymerase from Micrococcus luteus and Escherichia coli, and in a partially purified DNA polymerase from avian myeloblastosis virus. The activity is also observed in the protein fragment of molecular weight 76,000 that is produced by subtilisin cleavage of DNA polymerase I from E. coli. The NDP kinase activity...

Nocardioides luteus strain BAFB is a Gram-positive bacterium that efficiently degrades C8 to C11 alkanes aerobically. The draft genome of N. luteus BAFB is 5.76 Mb in size, with 5,358 coding sequences and 69.9% G+C content. The genes responsible for alkane degradation are present in this strain.

Micrococcus luteus strain K39 is an endophyte bacterium isolated from roots of the desert plant Cyperus conglomeratus collected from the Red Sea shore, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The draft genome sequence of strain K39 revealed a number of enzymes involved in salinity and oxidative stress tolerance or having herbicide-resistance activity.

The metabolism of exogenous pyrimidine bases and nucleosides was investigated in Brevibacterium ammoniagenes and Micrococcus luteus with fluorinated analogs and radioactive precursors. Salvage of thymine and thymidine was found in M. luteus, but not in B. ammoniagenes. Exogenous uracil or uracil nucleosides, but not cytosine or cytosine nucleosides, were nucleic acid precursors for both bacteri...

Dextran sulfate is commonly used with polyethylene glycol to concentrate viruses before extraction of their DNA. However, dextran slulfate then easily contaminated such DNA and acted as a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerases from Bacillus subtilis (III), phage PBS2, and phage T4. Dextran sulfate only weakly inhibited Micrococcus luteus and Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I preparations.