Polyamine profiles within genera of the class Actinobacteria with LL-diaminopimelic acid in the peptidoglycan.

Polyamine patterns of coryne- and nocardioform representatives of the class Actinobacteria with LL-diaminopimelic acid in the peptidoglycan, comprising strains of the genera Aeromicrobium, Nocardioides, Intrasporangium, Terrabacter, Terracoccus, Propioniferax, Friedmanniella, Microlunatus, Luteococcus and Sporichthya, were analysed. The different polyamine patterns were in good agreement with the phylogenetic heterogeneity within this group of actinomycetes. Strains of the closely related genera Nocardioides and Aeromicrobium were characterized by the presence of cadaverine. The second cluster, consisting of the type strains of the species Friedmanniella antarctica, Propioniferax innocua, Microlunatus phosphovorus and Luteococcus japonicus, displayed as a common feature the presence of the two predominant compounds spermidine and spermine. The presence of putrescine was common to the type strains of the species Intrasporangium calvum, Terrabacter tumescens and Terracoccus luteus. Sporichthya polymorpha, which is a representative of a separate line of descent, displayed spermidine as the predominant polyamine. These data indicate that polyamine patterns are suitable for the classification of actinomycetes with LL-diaminopimelic acid in the peptidoglycan.