otherwise stated. Cell shape, cell size and Gram staining
were determined by using cultures grown in MRS broth at
30 uC for 16 h. Motility was tested in soft MRS agar that
contained 0.15 % (w/v) agar. Catalase activity was also
determined using cells grown on MRS agar. Gas production
from glucose was measured with a Durham tube in
MRS broth. Production of dextran was assessed on MRS
agar in which the usual glucose had been replaced with 2 %
(w/v) sucrose. The methods of Barrow & Feltham (1993)
were used to determine growth at various temperatures
and pH values and growth with various concentrations of
NaCl, and to determine if the novel strains reduced nitrate
and/or produced ammonia from arginine. Carbohydrate
fermentation tests were conducted by using the API 50
CHL system (bioMe´rieux) according to the manufacturer’s
instructions. The presence of diaminopimelic acid in the
cell-wall peptidoglycan was investigated by the method of
Kandler & Weiss (1986). Cell-wall peptidoglycan was
prepared and hydrolysed according to the method of
Schleifer & Kandler (1972) so that the amino acids could be
analysed, by HPLC, in an Alliance 2695 system (Waters)
equipped with a fluorescence detector (model 474; Waters)
and an AccQ-Tag column (3.96150 mm; Waters).