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Strain, clone and species: comments on three basic concepts of bacteriology

L. DIJKSHOORN, B.M. URSING^* and J.B. URSING

Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands, *Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands and Department of Medical Microbiology, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmö, Sweden

Corresponding author: Dr J. B. Ursing (e-mail: jan.ursing@ mikrobiol.mas.lu.se). Present address: Torparebron, S-277 55 Brösarp, Sweden.

Received 23 Feb. 1999; revised version accepted 1 Oct. 1999.

Abstract

Different aspects of the terms strain, clone and species are discussed. The term strain is commonly used to denote a pure culture – here called ‘the strain in the taxonomic sense’ – but does also refer to a natural concept closely related to the clone. The term clone on the other hand is used both in a general and in a more restricted sense, the latter indicating a low degree of genetic exchange. The important distinction between the definition of a species and the criteria for a species is emphasised and the main kinds of criteria are considered.

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