Molecular characterization and phylogenetic diversity of actinomycetota species isolated from Lake Natron sediments at Arusha, Tanzania.

Soda lakes are naturally occurring ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental conditions especially high pH and salinity levels but harboring valuable microbial communities with medical and biotechnological potentials. Lake Natron is one of the soda lakes situated in eastern branch of the East African Gregory Rift valley, Tanzania. In this study, the taxonomy and phylogenetic diversity of Actinomycetota species were explored in Lake Natron using molecular techniques. The sequencing of their 16S rRNA gene resulted into 13 genera of phylum Actinomycetota namely Streptomyces, Microbacterium, Nocardiopsis, Gordonia, Dietzia, Micromonospora, Microcella, Pseudarthrobacter, Nocardioides, Actinotalea, Cellulomonas, Isoptericola, and Glutamicibacter. We describe for the first time, the isolation of Streptomyces lasalocidi, S. harbinensis, S. anthocyanicus, Microbacterium aureliae, Pseudarthrobacter sp., Nocardioides sp. and Glutamicibacter mishrai from soda lake habitats. It also reports for the first time, the isolation of Gordonia spp., Microcella sp. and Actinotalea sp. from an East African Soda Lake as well as isolation of S. pseudogriseolus, S. calidiresistens and Micromonospora spp. from a Tanzania soda lake. Furthermore, two putative novel species of the phylum Actinomycetota were identified. Given that Actinomycetota are known potential sources of important biotechnological compounds, we recommend the broadening of the scope of bioprospection in future to include the novel species from Lake Natron.