Abstract

The taxonomic position of an actinomycete isolated from a soil sample collected from Wadi Sannur in Egypt was established using a polyphasic approach. The isolate, which was designated WS 51^T, was shown to have chemical and morphological properties typical of streptomycetes. An almost complete 16S rDNAgene sequence of the strain was generated and compared with corresponding sequences of representative streptomycetes. The resultant data confirmed the classification of the strain in the genusStreptomyces but also showed that it formed a distinct phyletic line within the 16S rDNAStreptomyces gene tree. The organism was most closely associated to the type strains of Streptomyces hygroscopicus, Streptomyces malaysiensis and Streptomyces yatensis but was readily separated from them using a range of phenotypic properties.  It is proposed that strain WS 51^T (= CCTCC 001032^T = DSM 41834^T) be classified in the genus Streptomyces as Streptomyces sannurensis sp. nov.

Key words: Streptomyces sannurensis sp. nov., polyphasic taxonomy, alkaliphilic streptomycete.