Actinomycetes University of Udine, Mycology Department ISSN: 0732-0574 Vol. 8, Num. 1/02, 1997

A new species of Microbispora: Microbispora bannaensis sp. nov.

L. Junying, M. Lianjun and H. Runmao

Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Sichuan, Chengdu, P.R. China 610051

Code Number: AC97002
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ASTRACT.

A new species of Microbispora: Microbispora bannaensis is described. The organism shows whitish aerial mycelium, brown to black substrate mycelium and dark brown diffusible pigments. This strain differs in cultural and physiological features from previously described species of the genus Microbispora. Strain B-3 is proposed as the type strain of the new species.

In the course of a screening for novel antibiotics, a new organism belonging to the genus Microbispora was isolated.

In the present note morphological, cultural and physiological characteristics of the strain are described.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Organism.

Strain B-3 was isolated from a soil sample collected in the Yunnan Province, P.R. of China, by a previously developed isolation procedure (Runmao et al., 1994a).

Morphological, cultural, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics were determined according to Runmao et al. (1994b).

RESULTS and DISCUSSION

Morphology.

Strain B-3 shows the typical features of the genus Microbispora as described by Nonomura and Ohara (1957, 1960, 1971). The organism is Gram positive, non acid-fast, forming a substrate mycelium with hyphae 0.4 to 0.6um in diameter and a monopodially branching aerial mycelium bearing longitudinal pairs of spores (Fig. 1). Spores, oval to spherical, 1.0-1.5 x 1.5-2.0um, and smooth surfaced, are borne by short sporophores. Paired spores are usually arranged alternatively on side branches arising from a main filament.

Cultural Characteristics.

Cultural characteristics are summarised in Table 1. The strain grows well at 28-38 C.

Biochemical and Physiological Properties.

Meso-DAP is present in the cell wall and whole cell hydrolysates contain madurose, galactose, glucose and xylose (chemotype III).

Starch is not hydrolysed, gelatine is not liquefied and milk is not peptonised. D-(+) glucose, L-(+) arabinose, sucrose, D-(+) xylose, I-inositol, D-mannitol, D-(-) fructose, L-(+) rhamnose, L-(-) sorbose, dulcitol, D-(-) ribose, and D-mannose are utilised as carbon sources. Raffinose, inulin and salicin are not utilised.

Table 1. Cultural characteristics of strain B-3 (10-15dd, 28C). No growth was observed on ISP 2 and GA^1 media (^1 after Nonomura & Ohara, 1960; ^2 1971).

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Medium                  Growth    Reverse      Aerial         Soluble
                                  Colour       Mycelium       Pigment
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ISP 3                   good      dark brown    white          dark brown
ISP 4                   moderate  colourless      -                -
ISP 5                   poor      colourless      -                -
ISP 6                   moderate  colourless      -                -
ISP 7                   poor      colourless      -                -
Oatmeal agar-P^1        moderate  light brown   greyish white      -
Oatmeal agar-Y^1        good      black         pink           light brown
Inorganic salts 
starch agar-V^2 -       good      dark brown    light pink     light brown
Potato plug             good          -         white              -
Nutrient agar           moderate  light brown     -            black brown
Czapek sucrose agar     poor      colourless      -                -
Glucose asparagine agar poor      colourless      -                -
Potato agar             good      black         light violet   light brown
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 1. Aerial mycelium with spores of Microbispora bannaensis, strain B-3

Strain B-3 shows cultural and physiological characteristics different from those of previously described representatives of the genus Microbispora (Arjuna Rao et al., 1987; Yongzhu et al., 1993; Ping et al., 1990). For this reason it should be considered as belonging to a new species of the genus, for which the name Microbispora bannaensis sp.nov. is proposed.

Description of Microbispora bannaensis sp.nov.

Microbispora bannaensis (ban.na.en'sis, M.L.adj. bannaensis, belonging to the Banna area in the Yunnan Province, China, the origin of the soil from which the organism was isolated.

Aerobic, Gram positive, non acid-fast, mesophilic (good growth at 28-38 C) organism.

Substrate and aerial mycelia well developed and not fragmenting into coccoid or bacillary structures. Spores arranged in pairs and formed on side branches of the main hyphae on the aerial mycelium only. Spores oval to spherical, 1.0-1.5 x 1.5-2.0um in diameter and smooth surfaced.

Aerial mycelium white to pinkish-white, colour of colony reverse dark brown to black, no iodine crystal formation. Starch not hydrolysed, gelatine not liquefied and milk not peptonised. Carbon sources utilised: D-(+) glucose, L-(+) arabinose, sucrose, D-(+) xylose, I-inositol, D-mannitol, D-(-) fructose, L-(+) rhamnose, L-(-) sorbose, dulcitol, D-(-) ribose, and D-mannose. Raffinose, inulin and salicin not utilised.

Meso-DAP present in cell wall, madurose, galactose, glucose and xylose in whole cell hydrolysates.

Isolated from soil.

Strain B-3, the type strain of the species, is deposited at the Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics culture collection as strain SIIA 9558.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

The authors wish to thank Dr. Chen Weiqun and Dr. Zeng Jiayu of the Central Analysis Department of Sichuan University for the electron microscopy and Mr Chu Yiwen for the collection of the soil sample.

REFERENCES

Arjuna Rao, V., K, Kishore Prabhu, B.P.Sridhar, A.Venkateswarlu & P.Actor (1987). Two new species of Microbispora from Indian soils: Microbispora karnatakensis sp. nov., and Microbispora indica sp. nov. Inst. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 37: 181-185

Nonomura,.H. & Y.Ohara (1957). Distribution of actinomycetes in soil. II. Microbispora, a new genus of the Streptomycetaceae. J.Ferment. Technol., 35: 307-311

Nonomura,.H. & Y.Ohara (1960). Distribution of actinomycetes in soil. IV. The isolation and classification of the genus Microbispora. J. Ferment. Technol., 38: 401-409

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

Ping, W., D.Yuxiu & Y.Xunchu (1990). Two new species of Microbispora. Acta Micr.Sinica, 30: 324-329

Runmao, H., M.Lianjun & W.Guizhen (1994a). Distribution of soil actinomycetes in North-East China. Actinomycetes, 5: 12-13

Runmao, H., W.Guizhen & L.Junying (1994b). Saccharomonospora yangshuoensis sp.nov. Actinomycetes, 5: 9-11

Yongzhu, L., X.Yiang & J.Zhangxu (1993). Study on the genus Microbispora. II. Taxonomy of Microbispora fujuanensis n.sp. Chin.J. Antib., 18: 15-21

Copyright 1997 C.E.T.A., The International Centre for Theoretical and Applied Ecology, Gorizia

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