Three new antibiotic producing species of the genus Amycolatopsis, Amycolatopsis balhimycina sp. nov., A. tolypomycina sp. nov., A. vancoresmycina sp. nov., and description of Amycolatopsis keratiniphila subsp. keratiniphila subsp. nov. and A. keratiniphila subsp. nogabecina subsp. nov.

Screening of Indian soils for strains producing antibiotics active against methicillin resistant staphylococci resulted in the isolation of the actinomycetes FH 1894T, ST 101170T, and FH 1893T, producing novel glycopeptide antibiotics and a polyenic compound, respectively. Studies of the cellular fatty acids and the absence of mycolic acids as well as the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the producers indicated their membership to the genus Amycolatopsis. Comparison of genomic and metabolic properties of these strains with known species of this genus indicated that they represent new species for which the names Amycolatopsis balhimycina (type strain FH 1894T, DSM 44591T) and Amycolatopsis vancoresmycina (type strain ST 101170T, DSM 44592T) are proposed. The producer of the antibiotic Tolypomycin, strain IFO 14664T, representing the invalid species "Amycolatopsis tolypophorus", was also included in this investigation. As this strain was found to represent a valid species of the genus Amycolatopsis the name Amycolatopsis tolypomycina is proposed for this species, with the type strain IFO 14664T (DSM 44544T). The producer of the antibiotic Nogabecin, strain FH 1893T, was found to be closely related to the type strain of A. keratiniphila DSM 44409T which justifies the description of two subspecies of this species, A. keratiniphila subsp. keratiniphila DSM 44409T and A. keratiniphila subsp. nogabecina DSM 44586T.