Phylogenetic evidence for transfer of pentachlorophenol-mineralizing Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus PCP-I(T) to the genus Mycobacterium.

We determined the nucleotide sequence of a 16S rRNA gene of Rhodococcus chlorophenolicus PCP-I(T) (= DSM 43826T) (T = type strain). Sequence comparisons revealed that there was a close relationship between strain PCP-I(T) and strains belonging to the genus Mycobacterium. The sequence data were used to construct a phylogenetic tree, which showed that Mycobacterium chubuense is the closest relative of strain PCP-I(T). We propose that strain PCP-I(T) should be transferred to the genus Mycobacterium and renamed Mycobacterium chlorophenolicum PCP-I(T) comb. nov.