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

A new species of Actinoplanes: Actinoplanes nanjingenensis sp. nov.

M. Lianjun, L. Junying and H. Runmao

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

Code Number: AC97003
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ABSTRACT.

The name Actinoplanes nanjingenensis sp. nov. is proposed for an organism forming irregular to globose sporangia, deep blue to brownish vegetative mycelium and deep blue to black diffusible pigments. The type strain is deposited at the Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics with the accession number SIIA 880870.

A strain of Actinoplanes, isolated from soil could not be identified with of the previously described species of the genus.

In the present note morphological, cultural and chemotaxonomic characteristics of the organisms are described.

MATERIALS and METHODS

Strain 1103 was isolated from a soil sample collected in the Jiangsu province of China by a previously developed isolation procedure (Runmao et al., 1994a)

Morphological, cultural and chemotaxonomic characteristics were determined according to Becker et al. (1964), Shirling & Gottlieb (1966) and Runmao et al. ( 1994b),

RESULTS and DISCUSSION

On most media, currently used for actinomycete characterisation, strain 1103 forms abundant globes to irregularly shaped sporangia ranging in diameter from 3.6 to 8.0um (Fig. 1-A & B). When plates are flooded with water, sporangia become round and release numerous rod shaped motile spores, 0.6 x 1.1um, with a polar flagellum (Fig. 1-C).

Figure 1. Strain 1103. A & B: sporangia on oatmeal agar (marks equal 5um); C: spores (29,000x)

Cultural characteristics are shown in Table 1. The strain grows on most media, with the exception of calcium malate. Vegetative mycelium colours range from brown to various shades of brown or dark blue. No aerial mycelium is formed. Dark brownish to brownish blue diffusible pigments are produced on several media.

Table 1. Cultural characteristics of strain 1103, after 10dd incubation at 28 C

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Medium           Growth    Colour of      Diffusible        Sporangia
                            growth        pigment
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

ISP 2            poor      brownish blue     -              present
ISP 3            good      dark blue      dark blue         abundant
ISP 4            good      pale brown        -              abundant
ISP 5            good      dark blue      brownish blue     abundant
ISP 6            good      dark brown     black             present
ISP 7            moderate  pale brown     pale violet blue  abundant
Czapek sucrose 
agar             moderate  dark blue      blue              abundant
Glucose 
asparagine agar  good      brownish       brownish violet   abundant
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Analysis of cell wall hydrolysates by paper chromatography shows the presence of meso-DAP and glycine.

Physiological characteristics of strain 1103 and other Actinoplanes species, namely A.caeruleus (Horan & Brodsky, 1986), A.cyaneus (Terekhova et al., 1977), A.violaceus and A.yunnanensis (Chenglin & Lihua, 1983a,b), are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Comparison of strain 1103 characteristics with those of related species of Actinoplanes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                          Organism 
             --------------------------------------------------------------
Character        Strain   A. caeruleus  A. cyaneus  A.violaceus  A.yunna-   
                           1103                                   nensis
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sporangium 
shape           irregular  irregular    globose     irregular     oval
Sporangium 
size (um)       5.0-6.0    6-16         30-60       3-14          4-13
Spore size (um) 0.6-1.38   1.3-2.0      1.2-1.4     0.8           0.8
Mycelium        dark blue  tan to       brown to    brown to      brownish
pigment                    blue         orange      dark violet   violet
Meso-DAP            +                      +           +             +
Utilisation of:                    
L-arabinose         +       -                          +    
D-xylose            +       -                          +             +
glucose             +                                  +             +
D-fructose          +                                  +             +
L-rhamnose          +                                  +             +
ribose              +                                                
sucrose             +                                  +             +
inositol            +                                  -             
raffinose           -                                  -             
mannitol            +                                  +             
mannose             +                                 +/-            +
dulcitol            -                
inulin              -                
sorbose             -                
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Results indicate that the strain differs from previously described organisms and therefore should be considered as belonging to a new proposed species of the genus Actinoplanes.

Description of Actinoplanes nanjingensis sp. nov.

Actinoplanes nanjingensis (na.njing.en sis, M.L.adj. nanjingensis, belonging to Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, P.R of China, the source of soil from which the organism was isolated.

Irregular to globose sporangia, 5.0 to 6.0um, releasing when flooded with water motile spores (0.60 x 1.38um) with a polar flagellum.

Colonies dark blue on oatmeal, glycerol-asparagine and Czapek sucrose agar media. Aerial mycelium not formed. Soluble pigments brownish blue to dark blue. Meso-DAP and glycine in the cell wall. D-xylose, glucose, D-fructose, L-rhamnose, ribose, sucrose, inositol, mannitol and mannose utilised. Raffinose, dulcitol, inulin and sorbose not utilised. Good growth at 28-38C.

Isolated from soil.

Strain 1103, the type strain of the species, is deposited at the Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics culture collection as strain SIIA 880870.

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

Becker, B., M.P.Lechevalier, R.E.Gordon & H.A.Lechevalier (1964). Rapid differentiation between Nocardia and Streptomyces by paper chromatography of whole-cell hydrolysates. Appl. Microbiol., 12: 421-423

Chenglin, J. & X.Lihua (1983a). New species of Actinoplanes and Ampullariella. Acta Micr.Sinica, 23: 210-215

Chenglin, J. & X.Lihua (1983b). A new species of Actinoplanes. Acta Micr.Sinica, 23: 295-297

Horan, A. & B.Brodsky (1986). Actinoplanes caeruleus sp. nov. a blue pigmented species of the genus Actinoplanes. Int.J.Syst.Bacteriol., 36: 187-191

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

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

Terekhova, L.P., O.A.Sadikova & T.P.Preobrazhenskaya (1977). Actinoplanes cyaneus sp. nov.. and its antagonistic properties. Antibiotiki, 22: 1059-1063 ( in Russian)

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

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