Pseudokineococcus lusitanus gen. nov., sp. nov., and reclassification of Kineococcus marinus Lee 2006 as Pseudokineococcus marinus comb. nov.

A Gram-reaction-positive, motile, coccus-shaped actinobacterium, designated strain T2A-S27(T), was isolated from a roof tile in Oporto (Portugal) and studied using a polyphasic approach. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the novel isolate showed high similarity to that of Kineococcus marinus KST3-3(T) (97.8 % sequence similarity).

Direct detection of Kitasatospora species with a chaperone oligonucleotide microarray method lacking PCR amplification.

Identification of members of the genus Kitasatospora from soil samples has been introduced to evaluate occurrence of potential natural compound producers in different habitats. The microarray hybridization usually involves PCR amplification of the target DNA. Since PCR might lead to biased amplification, a diagnostic Kitasatospora microarray technique was improved by a protocol lacking PCR amplification prior to hybridization.

Arousing sleeping genes: shifts in secondary metabolism of metal tolerant actinobacteria under conditions of heavy metal stress.

Numerous microbial habitats are strongly influenced by elevated levels of heavy metals. This type of habitat has developed either due to ore mining and metal processing or by pedogenesis above metal-rich base rocks. Most actinobacteria are soil-borne microbes with a remarkable capability for the synthesis of a broad variety of biologically active secondary metabolites.

Pyrrole and indole alkaloids from an endophytic Fusarium incarnatum (HKI00504) isolated from the mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum.

Two new pyrrole alkaloids, N-[4-(2-formyl-5-hydroxymethyl-pyrrol-1-yl)-butyl]-acetamide (1) and N-[5-(2-formyl-5-hydroxymethyl-pyrrol-1-yl)-pentyl]-acetamide (2), and a new indole derivative (3aR,8aR)-3a-acetoxyl-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo-[2,3-b]indol (3) were isolated, together with ( - )-3a-hydroxyfuroindoline, (3aR,8aS)-1-acetyl-1,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo-[2,3-b]indol-3a-ol, and N-acetyltryptamine A, from an endophytic ascomycetous fungus, Fusarium incarnatum (HKI00504), which was isolated from the mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum. The structures of compounds 1-3 were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analyses.

Fodinicola feengrottensis gen. nov., sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a medieval mine.

A filamentous, Gram-positive actinobacterium was isolated from acidic rocks in a medieval alum slate mine and was investigated by means of a polyphasic taxonomic approach. A 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity study indicated that strain HKI 0501(T) forms an individual line of descent and is related to certain members of the suborder Frankineae, order Actinomycetales (<95 % sequence similarity). Distance-matrix and neighbour-joining analyses set the branching point of the novel isolate between two clades, one being represented by members of the genus Cryptosporangium (family 'Kineosporiaceae') and the other by members of the genera Frankia and Acidothermus (family Frankiaceae and family Acidothermaceae, respectively).

Burkholderia rhizoxinica sp. nov. and Burkholderia endofungorum sp. nov., bacterial endosymbionts of the plant-pathogenic fungus Rhizopus microsporus.

Several strains of the fungus Rhizopus microsporus harbour endosymbiotic bacteria for the production of the causal agent of rice seedling blight, rhizoxin, and the toxic cyclopeptide rhizonin. R. microsporus and isolated endobacteria were selected for freeze-fracture electron microscopy, which allowed visualization of bacterial cells within the fungal cytosol by their two parallel-running envelope membranes and by the fine structure of the lipopolysaccharide layer of the outer membrane.

A-seco-oleane-type triterpenes from Phomopsis sp. (strain HKI0458) isolated from the mangrove plant Hibiscus tiliaceus.

From the fermentation broth of an unidentified Phomopsis sp. (strain HKI0458) isolated from the mangrove plant Hibiscus tiliaceus, four A-seco-oleane-type triterpenes, namely 3,4-seco-olean-11,13-dien-4,15alpha, 22beta,24-tetraol-3-oic acid (1), 3,4-seco-olean-11,13-dien-4,7beta,22beta,24-tetraol-3-oic acid (2), 3,4-seco- olean-13-en-4,7,15,22,24-pentaol-3-oic acid (3), and 3,4-seco-olean-13-en-4,15,22,24-tetraol-3-oic acid (4) were obtained. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic (UV, IR, FABMS, and 2D NMR) data analyses.

Kribbella aluminosa sp. nov., isolated from a medieval alum slate mine.

Three actinomycetes (strains HKI 0478(T), HKI 0479 and HKI 0480) isolated from the surfaces of rocks in the Feengrotten medieval alum slate mine (Thuringia, Germany) were examined in a polyphasic taxonomic study. The following morphological and chemotaxonomic features supported their classification as members of the genus Kribbella: the presence of ll-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan; glucose together with minor amounts of mannose and ribose as the whole-cell sugars; polar lipids comprising phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and unknown phospho- and glycolipids; fatty acid profiles characterized by the predominance of anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(16 : 0) and C(16 : 0) 9-methyl; and the presence of MK-9(H(4)) as the main menaquinone. The isolates had almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences (99.

Amycolatopsis saalfeldensis sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from a medieval alum slate mine.

Three actinomycetes isolated from the surfaces of rocks in a medieval slate mine were examined in a polyphasic taxonomic study. Chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics of the isolates were typical of strains of the genus Amycolatopsis. The isolates had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and formed a distinct phyletic line towards the periphery of the Amycolatopsis mediterranei clade, being most closely related to Amycolatopsis rifamycinica.

Amycolatopsis nigrescens sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a Roman catacomb.

The taxonomic status of two actinomycetes isolated from the wall of a hypogean Roman catacomb was established based on a polyphasic investigation. The organisms were found to have chemical and morphological markers typical of members of the genus Amycolatopsis. They also shared a range of chemical, molecular and phenotypic markers which served to separate them from representatives of recognized Amycolatopsis species.

Practical thin layer chromatography techniques for diaminopimelic acid and whole cell sugar analyses in the classification of environmental actinomycetes.

For the determination of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) stereoisomers in whole cell hydrolysates as chemotaxonomic markers of actinomycetes, two new pyridine-free solvent systems for TLC on cellulose sheets have been introduced: methanol/0.05 m potassium hydrogenphthalate buffer pH 4 2:1 (v/v) and methanol/0.12 M dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) in H(2)O pH 6 2:1 (v/v).

Myceligenerans crystallogenes sp. nov., isolated from Roman catacombs.

Three xylan-degrading actinobacterial strains were isolated from different sampling sites in the Roman catacombs of Domitilla and San Callisto. The organisms showed morphological and chemotaxonomic properties such as peptidoglycan type A4alpha, L-lys-L-thr-D-Glu; whole-cell sugars (glucose, mannose and galactose); octa-, hexa- and tetrahydrogenated menaquinones with nine isoprene units; phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol as the major phospholipids; anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) and iso-C(16 : 0) as the predominant fatty acids; and a DNA G+C content of 72 mol%. These features are consistent with affiliation of these isolates to the genus Myceligenerans.

[The secondary metabolites research of the alkalophlic strain YIMGQ14 tracked by the TLC assay].

In the course of the microbial resources exploitation, the secondary metabolites research of the alkalophilic strain YIMGQ-14 was carried on using the TLC method and with the coordinate of the TLC database searching. Two patented biological active compounds "Umycin C" and "Umycin B" were isolated and purified. The result showed that, compared with the ordinary biological screening, the TLC screening is fast, convenient, economical and much more suitable for the small scale daily screening purpose.

Structure determination of germacrane-type sesquiterpene alcohols from an endophyte Streptomyces griseus subsp.

Three germacrane-type sesquiterpene alcohols were isolated from an endophyte of mangrove plant Kandelia candel. Their structures were characterized as 1(10)E,5E-germacradiene-11-ol (1), 1(10)E,5E-germacradiene-3,11-diol (2), 1(10)E,5E-germacradiene-2,11-diol (3) based on the extensive NMR studies. Among them, 2 and 3 are identified as new compounds.

Agromyces subbeticus sp. nov., isolated from a cave in southern Spain.

An actinomycete, strain Z33(T), was isolated from a cyanobacterial biofilm in the Cave of Bats, near Zuheros (Cordoba, southern Spain). 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain Z33(T) formed a distinct phyletic line within the genus Agromyces. This isolate could be readily distinguished from representatives of all recognized Agromyces species on the basis of a broad range of phenotypic characteristics and DNA-DNA relatedness data.

Design and evaluation of an oligonucleotide-microarray for the detection of different species of the genus Kitasatospora.

An oligonucleotide-microarray method was developed for the detection of Kitasatospora species in soil samples. The 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of these antibiotics-producing actinomycetes was applied to design short oligonucleotide probes. Two different 26-mers were synthesized, specific to each species used.

Isoptericola hypogeus sp. nov., isolated from the Roman catacomb of Domitilla.

In order to clarify the taxonomic position of an actinobacterium from the Roman catacomb of Domitilla, a combination of phenotypic characterization, phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and DNA-DNA relatedness studies was used. The results from the polyphasic taxonomic study of this organism showed that strain HKI 0342(T) (=DSM 16849(T)=NCIMB 14033(T)) should be considered as the type strain of a novel species of the genus Isoptericola, for which the name Isoptericola hypogeus sp. nov.

Cervimycin A-D: a polyketide glycoside complex from a cave bacterium can defeat vancomycin resistance.

Cervimycins A-D are novel polyketide glycosides with significant activity against multi-drug-resistant staphylococci and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. They are produced by a strain of Streptomyces tendae, isolated from an ancient cave. The structures of the cervimycins were determined by performing extensive NMR and chemical degradation studies.

Agromyces italicus sp. nov., Agromyces humatus sp. nov. and Agromyces lapidis sp. nov., isolated from Roman catacombs.

A polyphasic study was carried out to clarify the taxonomic positions of three Gram-positive isolates from the Catacombs of Domitilla, Rome (Italy). 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons placed these strains within the genus Agromyces. The morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics of these isolates were consistent with the description of the genus Agromyces.

Agromyces salentinus sp. nov. and Agromyces neolithicus sp. nov.

A polyphasic study was carried out to clarify the taxonomic position of two Gram-positive bacteria isolated from soil samples of the Grotta dei Cervi (Italy), a relatively unexplored hypogean environment. The strains, 20-5T and 23-23T, showed phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics that were consistent with their classification in the genus Agromyces. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that the two strains formed distinct phyletic lines within the genus Agromyces.

Five novel Kitasatospora species from soil: Kitasatospora arboriphila sp. nov., K. gansuensis sp. nov., K. nipponensis sp. nov., K. paranensis sp. nov. and K. terrestris sp. nov.

A polyphasic study was carried out to establish the taxonomic positions of six strains isolated from diverse soil samples and provisionally assigned to the genus Kitasatospora. The isolates were found to have chemical and morphological properties consistent with their classification as Kitasatospora strains. Direct 16S rRNA gene sequence data confirmed the taxonomic position of the strains following the generation of phylogenetic trees by using three tree-making algorithms.

Kitasatospora putterlickiae sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil, transfer of Streptomyces kifunensis to the genus Kitasatospora as Kitasatospora kifunensis comb. nov., and emended description of Streptomyces aureofaciens Duggar 1948.

A polyphasic study was undertaken to establish the taxonomic position of a rhizosphere isolate that had been assigned provisionally to the genus Kitasatospora. The organism, isolate F18-98(T), was found to have chemical and morphological properties that were consistent with its classification as a Kitasatospora strain. Direct 16S rDNA sequence data confirmed the taxonomic position of the strain, following the generation of phylogenetic trees by using three treeing algorithms.

New and bioactive compounds from Streptomyces strains residing in the wood of Celastraceae.

Wood from three different plants of the Celastraceae growing in their natural habitats in Brazil (Maytenus aquifolia Mart.) and South Africa [Putterlickia retrospinosa van Wyk and Mostert, P. verrucosa (E.

Knoellia sinensis gen. nov., sp. nov. and Knoellia subterranea sp. nov., two novel actinobacteria isolated from a cave.

Two novel strains of the class Actinobacteria were isolated from a cave in China. Cells of both strains were gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming and not acid-fast and exhibited a rod/coccus growth cycle. Both isolates grew well on complex organic media under aerobic conditions.