Taxonomy problem

[dean.harrington]

Dear Netters

I wonder if I could enlist your help with a taxonomy problem. I am 
currently gathering information on bacterial collagenases and have come 
across references for two organisms namely Empedobacter collagenolyticum 
and Actinomyces fradiae which apparently produce such enzymes. The 
problem is that my 1984 copy of Bergeys has no mention of either of these 
strains, nor any suggestion of any other strains which may have been 
reclassified resulting in their allocation to new genera. Does anybody 
have any knowledge of the history of these organisms? My preliminary 
detective work indicated that Empedobacter may have arisen from 
Acinetobacter and that Actinomyces fradiae may have become Streptomyces 
fradiae but both these leads have also drawn blanks. Also if anyone is 
aware of or works with a collagenase producing bacterium that doesn't get 
much coverage in the literature I would be interested to hear from you.

Thanks in advance

Dean Harrington
School of Health Sciences
University of Sunderland
UK

E-mail dean.harrington at sunderland.ac.uk