Comparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic profiles of dehydrogenase enzymes from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus: A molecular taxonomic study

Isoenzyme band profiles of nine dehydrogenases derived from twenty strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were analyzed by PAGE to determine genotypic conservation or divergence among members of this species. Activity was detected for all dehydrogenases except glucose-6-phosphate (G6PD/NADP) and 6-phosphogluconate (6PGD/NADP) dehydrogenases which were detectable in only 40% of the strains. An overall similarity was evident in band profiles for the dehydrogenases based on relative electrophoretic migration (Rm), number of bands present, and staining intensity. Coenzyme dependency was indicated by a grouping of the dehydrogenases into coenzyme independent (NAD (P)) and coenzyme dependent (NAD or NADP) enzymes. The present taxonomic study demonstrated the usefulness of electrophoresis to reveal considerable genotypic conservation among the acinetobacters based on dehydrogenase profiles.