Classification and identification of Flavobacterium species by carbon source utilization.

Carbon substrates used as the sole source of carbon and energy were tested for the classification and identification of species of Flavobacterium: Flavobacterium meningosepticum, F. breve, F. odoratum, F. multivorum, F. thalpophilum, and Flavobacterium sp. group IIb. Hierarchical classification and stepwise discriminant analysis revealed three F. meningosepticum, two F. breve, two F. odoratum, and two Flavobacterium sp. group IIb subgroups. Glucose, histidine, asparagine, tryptophan, maltose, citric acid, and glycine were selected as the most useful substrates to differentiate between the groups and subgroups.