H. RUNMAO, W. GUIZHEN and L. JUNYING

New Antibiotics Res. Dept., Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Sichuan, Chengdu, China

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During an investigation of the actinomycete population in Guangxi province, seven strains were isolated from a soil sample collected in Yangshuo, P.R. China. These strains belong to the genus Saccharomonospora, as determined by their morphological features and cell wall composition. In the present report strain NA 919594 is compared with previously identified species of Saccharomonospora.

MATERIALS and METHODS

Microorganisms. Strain NA 919594 was isolated in September 1991 from a soil sample collected in Yangshuo, Guangxi province, P.R.China. For comparative purposes Saccharomonospora azurea, strain NA 128 (ATCC 43570) and S. cyanea, strain NA 134 (ATCC 43724) were also studied.

Morphological characteristics. Observations were carried out by light microscopy on cultures grown at 37 C for 2wks on ISP5 medium supplemented with 1.0ml of a vitamin solution (thiamine-HCl, 0.5mg; riboflavin, 0.5mg; niacin, 0.5mg; Ca-pantothenate, 0.5mg; p-aminobenzoic-acid, 0.5mg; pyridoxinHCl, 0.5mg; inositol, 0.5mg; biotin, 0.25mg; dist. water, 100ml).

Spore morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Cultural and physiological characteristics. The media used were those described by Shirling and Gottlieb (1966) and Waksman (1961), together with the modified ISP5 medium. Cultures were incubated at 28 and 37 C for two weeks.

Cell wall and whole-cell analysis was performed according to Becker et al. (1965) and Lechevalier (1968).

RESULTS

Morphology. The vegetative mycelium is irregularly branched and non fragmenting. Aerial filaments (0.3-0.5um) are branched monopodially.

Figure 1. SEM of aerial spores of strain NA 919594 on modified ISP5 (after 3 wks at 37 C).

Spores (Fig. 1), roundish (0.8-1.0um) and with a warty surface, are sessile and formed singly on aerial hyphae, less frequently on the substrate mycelium .

Cultural characteristics. These are summarised in Table 1.

Physiological characteristics. Positive gelatine liquefaction and milk peptonisation. The strain does not grow in media containing NaCl (3%o). The temperature range for growth is 24 to 40 C with optimum growth occurring at 37 C.

Chemical analysis. Meso-diaminopimelic acid, galactose and arabinose are present.

Comparison of strains. Five species of Saccharomonospora (S. azurea, S. cyanea, S. internatus, S. viridis and S. yunnanensis) have been previously described (Runmao, 1987, 1988; Agre et al., 1974; Nonomura and Ohara, 1971; Chenglin and Lihua, 1985).

Differences from strain NA 919594 are as follows: (i) growth of S. viridis is poor or absent on oatmeal (ISP3) and Czapek sucrose agar respectively, (ii) S. incarnatus does not grow on the latter medium, whereas strain NA 919594 shows excellent growth on both with blue aerial mycelium, (iii) S. yunnanensis forms spores with warty surfaces and produces a light yellowish-brown diffusible pigment on nutrient agar, whereas strain NA 919594 also shows warty spore surfaces, but forms no pigment on the same medium, (iv) growth of S. azurea and S. cyanea is poor to moderate on ISP5 and on calcium malate medium; strain NA 919594 shows poor or no growth on ISP5 and moderate growth on calcium malate medium with a dark brownish soluble pigment.

On the basis of these observations it is suggested that strain NA 919594 represents a new species of the genus Saccharomonospora. NA 919594 is the type strain and a culture has been deposited in the Culture Collection Centre of the Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics (SIIA), Chengdu, P.R.China, as strain SIIA 91100.

Description of Saccharomonospora yangshuoensis sp.nov.

Yang.shuo.en'sis. ML. adj. yangshuoensis, pertaining to the city of Yangshuo (South China), the source of the soil from which the organism was isolated.

Aerobic actinomycete. Non fragmenting substrate mycelium. No sporangia formed. Single spores, mainly on aerial mycelium. Spores oval to roundish, 0.8 - 01um, formed on very short sporophores or sessile.

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MEDIUM     VEGETATIVE     AERIAL       SOLUBLE
           MYCELIUM       MYCELIUM     PIGMENT
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---
ISP4          poor growth, hyaline  traces, greyish
ISP5          poor growth           traces
ISP5 +        good growth, hyaline  good, whitish
B vitamins
ISP6          good growth, dark     good, whitish     black         
              brown                                   melanoid
ISP7          good growth, hyaline  good, light blue
Czapek-Dox    moderate growth,      moderate, azure
              hyaline
Nutrient agar good growth, light    good, blue
              brown
Calcium       moderate growth,      moderate, whitish    
dark      malate        dark brown                               
  brown

Table 1. Cultural characteristics of Saccharomonospora yangshuoensis, strain NA 919594.

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Spore surface warty. Aerial mycelium whitish or pale azure on oatmeal and Czapek sucrose media. No growth (or poor) on ISP5, ISP6 or ISP7 media. Excellent growth on vitamin supplemented ISP5 medium. Dark brown soluble pigment formed on calcium malate medium.

Mesophilic.

Habitat: soil.

Type strain: NA 919594 (SIIA 91100).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The authors wish to thank Dr.Chen Weiqun of the Central Analysis Department of Sichuan University for electron microscopy, Mr. Mu Lianjun and Mr. Wenbin for collecting the soil sample and Prof Cai Shun-yang for advice and assistance.

REFERENCES

Agre, N. S., L. N.Guzeva & L. A. Dorokhova (1974). A new species of the genus Micropolyspora - Micropolyspora internatus. Mikrobiologiya 43: 679-685

Becker, B., M. P. Lechevalier & H. A. Lechevalier (1965). Chemical composition of cell-wall preparations from strains of various form genera of aerobic actinomycetes. Appl. Microbiol., 13: 236-243

Chenglin, J. & X. Lihua (1985). A study on aquatic actinomycetes in the Platean lakes in Yunnan. V. A new species of the genus Saccharomonospora. Acta Microbiol. Sinica, 25: 363-365 (in Chinese)

Runmao, H. (1987). Saccharomonospora azurea sp.nov. A new species from soil. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 37: 60-61

Runmao, H., C. Lin & W. Guizhen (1988). Saccharomonospora cyanea, sp.nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. , 38: 444-446

Lechevalier, M. P. (1968). Identification of aerobic actinomycetes of clinical importance. J. Lab. Clin. Med., 71: 934-944

Nonomura, H. & Y. Ohara (1971). Distribution of actinomycetes in soil. X. New genus and species of monosporic actinomycetes. J. Ferm. Technol., 49: 895-903

Shirling, E. B. & D. Gottlieb (1966). Methods for characterization of Streptomyces species. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 16: 313-340

Waksman, S. A. (1961). The Actinomycetes. Vol. 2. Classification, identification and description of genera and species. The Williams & Wilkins Co., Baltimore, Md.

Copyright 1994 C. E. T A.

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