Streptomyces specialis sp nov.

A Gram-positive, non-enclospore-forming bacterium (GW41-1564(T)) was isolated from soil. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GW41-1564(T) is a member of the genus Streptomyces, exhibiting highest similarities with Streptomyces hainanensis YIM 47672(T) (97.8 %) and Streptomyces cacaoi subsp. cacaoi NBRC 12748(T) (97.5 %). Strain GW41-1564(T) could be distinguished from any other Streptomyces species with validly published names by sequence similarity values less than 97.5 %. Strain GW41-1564(T) exhibited an unusual quinone system, with the predominant compounds MK-10(H(4)) and VIK-10(H(6)) and smaller amounts of MK-9(H(4)) and MK-9(H(6)). The type strain of the most closely related species, S. hainanensis YIM 47672 T, also contained an unusual quinone system composed of MK-9(H(6)) and MK-9(H(8)) in addition to MK-9(H(4)) and MK-10(H(0)), whereas the type strain of the second most closely related species, S. cacaoi NBRC 12748(T), contained a quinone system, composed of MK-9(H(6)) and VIK9(H(8)), typical of Streptomyces. The polar lipid profile of GW41-1564(T) consisted of the predominant compound diphosphatidylglycerol, moderate amounts of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol and minor to trace amounts of two phosphatidylinositol mannosides and several unknown lipids, and the major fatty acids were iso-C(16:0) anteiso-C(17:1)omega 9c and anteiso-C(17:0). The results of physiological and biochemical tests allowed further phenotypic differentiation of strain GW41-1564(T) from the related species S. hainanensis. Strain GW41-1564(T) clearly merits species status, and we propose the name Streptomyces specialis sp. nov., with the type strain GW41-1564(T) (=DSM 41924(T) =CCM 7499 T).