ABSTRACT
Thermal denaturation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was monitored by measuring a decrease in fluorescence. This chapter describes the GC mol% of a series of bacterial isolates from hypogean environments and utilizes the GC mol% estimates as a required characteristic for their definitive taxonomic classification. Microorganisms play a critical role in every habitat of our planet. The presence of microorganisms on our cultural heritage implies the necessity of studying these microorganisms and their potential implications. Among the genomic characteristics of a microorganism we could mention DNA/DNA hybridization to analyze the relatedness between species, DNA sequences, restriction digest patterns, and the proportion of G + C in the genome of a microorganism. Several techniques have been used for assessing the fraction of G + C in the genome of microorganisms. Fluorimetric determinations of DNA denaturalization should translate in a much more sensitive method for assessing G + C mol% content in microorganisms.
