Info req.: molecules/morphology

[B. J. Tindall]

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Ken Kin man wrote:
>     Both of these groups have been virtually based on the distinctive
>nature of their SSU rRNA only, but I think they were too slow to formally
>recognize the one, and have greatly overestimated the distinctiveness of the
>other.  Each case must be decided on its own merits, but in most cases, I
>would say it would be best to wait for morphological confirmation.  The
>Verrucomicrobium case was highly unusual.

The problem is that we have members of the genus Verrucomicrobium and
Prosthecobacter in pure culture, whereas we do not know much about the
Korarchaeota. We can gather data on the first group and describe not only
genetic differences (i.e. 16S rDNA sequences) but also phenotypic
differences, whereas in the latter case we only have the 16S rDNA
sequences. I confess that I find it rather premature to state that one has
over estimated the significance of the Korarchaeota when one has little
data in support of either point of view.
Brian


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