[Refinement of the diagnosis of the genera and species of methane-using bacteria].

The diagnoses of taxons have been corrected for methane assimilating bacteria of the family Methylomonadaceae Leadbetter 1974, of the genera Methylomonas Leadbetter 1974. Methylococcus Foster a. Davis 1966, Methylosinus Whittenbury. Phillips a. Wilkinson 1970, Methylocytis Whittenbury, Phillips a. Wilkinson 1970, and of 16 species. The diagnosis of the species Methylomonas rubra Whittenbury, Phillips a. Wilkinson 1970 has been completed, and the new species Methylomonas gracilis sp. nov. and Methylococcus luteus sp. nov. have been described. Since information about the properties of certain strains is not complete, they should be transferred to the category incertae sedis. Diagnostic keys for identification of methane assimilating bacteria are presented in the paper.