8 
Dr. Macrina said Sublist E vhich specifies one-way transfer of ENA from mu tans 
into S^_ sanguis is superfluous and should be modified since Streptococcus 
mutans is included in Sub list F with S^_ sanguis . 
Dr. Clewell said taxonomists have suggested S^_ faecalis should be renamed 
Enterococcus faecalis because by ENA hybridization and rRNA sequence horology 
studies, it appears to be more closely related to the Bacillus than to the 
Streptococcus . The working group may wish to note this proposed reclassification. 
Dr. Clewell said taxonanists have recently reclassified Streptococcus mutans 
into five different species? the name S^ mutans now refers to only one of the 
five species listed in the most recent edition of Bergey's Manual of Systematic 
Bacteriology . 
Drs. Clewell and Pattee said the Staphylococci in the previous grouping of 
Dr. Novick 's proposal (Attachment II) were originally classified as S. epidermidis 
but were recently speciated into the several species listed in Attachment II. 
Dr. Fox said rPNA sequence data indicates the Staphylococcus cure a closely 
related group of organisms. 
Dr. Baltz suggested organisms vhich are the same species by ENA horology or 
other criteria and yet have been speciated and classified separately might be 
treated in a special manner under the NIH Guidelines. THe working group agreed 
the name S^ epidermidis would refer to S^ intermedius , S. capitis , S. caseolytius , 
S. wameri , S. haemolyticus , and Sj_ xylosus . 
Dr. Macrina said the next two groups of bacteria cited by Drs. Novick and 
Polak as demonstrating genetic exchange are: ( 1 ) S . anginosus and S. agal act iae 
donating DNA to S^ faecalis ; and (2) S^_ faecalis and £h_ agalactiae donating DNA to 
S. agalactiae and Sj_ faecalis (Attachment II ) . These references demonstrate 
interspecific transfer of extrachroroscrral ENA among gram-positive bacteria. 
There is no evidence of chrcmoscmal gene transfer. 
Dr. Clewell said S^_ anginosus is a Group F species and probably the species 
used to represent the Group F Streptococci in tests of ENA transfer. He 
thought Sj_ anginosus should be specifically named in any classification. 
The working group agreed all of the references cited to demonstrate exchange 
between the bacterial groups listed by Drs. Novick and Polak demonstrated 
the plasmid transfer described under criterion 4 (Attachment III). Drs. Novick 
and Polak provide no references demonstrating chromosomal gene transfer. 
Dr. Baltz asked whether investigators have locked extensively for chrcmoscmal 
transfer in gram-positive organisms. Dr. Macrina said few investigators have 
searched for chromosomal gene transfer. He could, nonetheless, hypothesize a 
mechanism in gram-positive bacteria by vhich a transposon could integrate in 
the chromosome, become a transposon prime, hop onto a plasmid to create 
a R' plasmid, and transfer chromosomal genes to other bacteria. 
[ 539 ] 
