An extensive literature review concerning the taxonomic status of the species of genus
Streptomyces
has been made. The classical microbiological and chemo taxonomical methods which form the base of the present classification of the species of this genus, as well as, the modern molecular biological approaches - analysis of protein patterns, multilocus enzyme electrophoretical (MLEE) analysis, restriction analysis, analysis of the nucleotide sequences of 16S and 23S RNA, RNA/DNA sequencing, DNA finger-printing with different probes or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were described. The profound analysis showed the advantages of the molecular biological methods for streptomyces taxonomy and indicated that none of these methods applied independently could solve the existing problems in the taxonomy of genus
Streptomyces. A wider application of the molecular genetic approaches is necessary in order to specify the taxonomic status of the species included in category III and IV according to Bergey and to find a criterion for distinguishing between the closely related species, as well as, to e evaluate the homogeneity of some streptomyces species.
