Intra- and Intergeneric Relationships of the Genus Oceanospirillum Pot, B. and Gillis, M. and Hoste, B. and van de Velde, A. and Bekaert, F. and Kersters, K. and de Ley, J.,, 39, 23-34 (1989), doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-39-1-23, publicationName = Microbiology Society, issn = 1466-5026, abstract= Abstract A comprehensive study of the relationships of Oceanospirillum species by a polyphasic approach is described. Hybridizations were performed between labeled ribosomal ribonucleic acids (rRNAs) from Oceanospirillum linum, Oceanospirillum jannaschii, Oceanospirillum kriegii, and several other organisms and deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) from representative Oceanospirillum strains and many other gram-negative organisms. Five Oceanospirillum species, including the type species, constitute a separate rRNA branch in rRNA superfamily II, to which the genus Oceanospirillum should be restricted. The finer relationships among the different members of the Oceanospirillum rRNA branch were further defined by DNA:DNA hybridizations and comparative gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins. After comparison of our results with the previously available phenotypic data, we redefine the genus Oceanospirillum to contain Oceanospirillum linum, Oceanospirillum maris, Oceanospirillum beijerinckii, Oceanospirillum multiglobuliferum, and Oceanospirillum japonicum; we also create Oceanospirillum maris subsp. hiroshimense comb. nov. and Oceanospirillum beijerinckii subsp. pelagicum comb. nov. for the former Oceanospirillum hiroshimense and Oceanospirillum pelagicum, respectively. The following taxa are generically misnamed: Oceanospirillum jannaschii, Oceanospirillum kriegii, and Oceanospirillum minutulum. Together with Cellvibrio mixtus and some misnamed Pseudomonas strains, these three taxa constitute at least three separate rRNA branches in rRNA superfamily II. Oceanospirillum pusillum is also misnamed as it belongs in rRNA superfamily IV. Oceanospirillum vagum and Oceanospirillum commune should be relegated to their real generic positions, Marinomonas vaga and Marinomonas communis, respectively., language=, type=