Molecular and chemotaxonomic comparison study (based on Jaccard and Dice coefficients) of the genus Kineococcus

Abstract

A comparative study between a chemotaxonomy method (chemical taxonomy study) and a molecular taxonomy method was conducted on fifteen species of actinobacteria belonging to the genus Kineococcus, which are: K. aurantiacus, K. aureolus, K. endophyticus, K. glutinatus, K. gynurae, K. gypseus, K. mangrovi, K. radiotolerans, K. xinjiangensis, K. rhizosphaerae, K. rubinsiae, K. siccus, K. terrestris, K. vitellinus and K. indalonis. This work aims to establish a chemotaxonomic comparison (based on cellular chemical composition) by Jaccard and Dice statistical coefficients between the studied species and a molecular comparison (based on analysis of the 16S rRNA gene as well as on analysis of the entire genome) by identifying the closest species to a chosen reference specie. K. vitellinus according to degree of similarity and evolutionary distance. The statistical coefficients Jaccard and Dice, were used to conduct a chemical analysis using information collected from the scientific literature related to cellular composition to identify and classify the studied species. The molecular study uses bioinformatics algorithms to align nucleotide sequences. We conclude from the study that although an identical order of closeness ranking was obtained between the molecular method and the chemical method with the Jaccard and Dice coefficients, it is preferable to take the results of the chemical study in general with caution due to its shortcomings and the fact that the molecular study is better for distinguishing species within a single genus, with the help of whole genome analysis and the ANI coefficient, in order to avoid confusion between species with high taxonomic affinity.