SamanthaM

In reading Fuzzy species among recombinogetic bacteria, it is frustrating how difficult it is to define species using DNA sequences. However, thus far I find it acceptable and easy to understand the the taxonomy of varying bacteria based on common phenotypic traits.
The title of this article is very appropriate knowing that due to the inter-species recombination the designed gene trees are nearly impossible to analyze and identify specifics. It is clear that the only way to properly cluster these genes is through the use of the multiple loci so that it can buffer against the results of inter-species recombination. The images of these trees are very difficult to understand. Even the trees in figure 2 are challenging even thought the contents are far simplified compared to the tree in figure 1.
Given the fact that the genetic trees were unsuccessful, I would like to see a tree based on a bacteria that is without or has little inter species recombination, so that I can better understand how these trees benefit towards microbial taxonomy. Furthermore, it was disappointing to become aware that there is another approach that has not been tackled. I think it would be a rewarding task to take on determining whether large populations of related bacteria can be divided into more specific clusters using specific molecular methods, or if groups of related bacteria fall into a genetic series where clear divisions do not exist. In examining a sequence-based, multilocus approach with large populations, the history of individual genes may be unnoticeable within inter-species recombination hopefully resulting into the merging of smaller clusters.
Within the 3 main clusters of N. meningitidus, N. lactamica, and N. gonorrhoea, the N. lactamica seemed highly inconsistent and most likely mis-identified. It is theorized that the use of the multilocus approach would be able to make the boundaries between N. lactamica and N. meningitidus less fuzzy.
There are various other angles that could be approached in order to name various types of microbial classes. However they have yet to be explored. It’ll be interesting to follow what new advances they make over the years with taxonomy and what approach will take them the furthest. It seems somewhat pointless to retry a technique that consistently fails with the availability of other alternatives that could benefit this area of study. Maybe in this particular line of study, a more simple type of bacteria with less inter-species recombination could be analyzed and worked up from there rather than picking apart a complicated and unreliable type like Neisseria.