Streptacidiphilus durhamensis sp nov., isolated from a spruce forest soil

The taxonomic position of three acidophilic actinobacteria, strains FGG38, FGG39 and FSCA67(T), isolated from the fermentation litter layer of a spruce forest soil was established using a polyphasic approach. The strains were shown to have chemotaxonomic and morphological properties consistent with their classification in the genus Streptacidiphilus and formed a distinct phyletic line in the Streptacidiphilus 16S rRNA gene tree being most closely related to Streptacidiphilus albus DSM 41753(T) (99.4 % similarity). DNA:DNA relatedness data showed that isolate FSCA67(T) and the type strain of S. albus belonged to markedly distinct genomic species. The isolates had many phenotypic properties in common and were distinguished readily from their closest phylogenetic neighbours in the Streptacidiphilus gene tree using a broad range of these features. Based on the combined genotypic and phenotypic data the three isolates are considered to represent a new Streptacidiphilus species. The name Streptacidiphilus durhamensis sp. nov. is proposed for this taxon with isolate FSCA67(T) (=DSM 45796(T) = KACC 17154(T) = NCIMB 14829(T)) as the type strain.