Chemotaxonomy and Genomes

Chemotaxonomy or chemical taxonomy is the identification and classification of an organism based on the differences or similarities of the chemical features present in the cell structure such as peptidoglycan types/compositions, polar lipids, fatty acids, mycolic acids, respiratory quinones, and polyamine patterns. Considering their importance in their capacity to differentiate prokaryotes even at a higher taxonomic level, the characterization of chemical features was considered an integral part of the development of the polyphasic approach to prokaryotic systematics. The problem with traditional chemotaxonomic methods is that it is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Taxonomists are now considering replication of such approaches with “in silico” prediction of the presence/absence of chemotaxonomic markers. As for now, not all biomarkers can be predicted but may soon become a reality with the incorporation of improved genome analysis tools and algorithms.