Taxonomic study of neutrotolerant acidophilic actinomycetes isolated from soil and description of Streptomyces yeochonensis sp. nov.

Acidophilic actinomycete strains that represent the two major neutrotolerant clusters defined by numerical taxonomy (Seong, 1992) were the subject of a polyphasic taxonomic study. The centrotypes of each cluster, designated as strain JL164 (=KCTC 9924) of cluster 21 and strain CN732T (=KCTC 9926T=IMSNU 50114T=NRRL B-24245T) of cluster 13, were assigned initially to the genus Streptomyces on the basis of morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics; this assignation was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequence data. Strain CN732T formed a distinct phyletic line within the Streptomyces tree, whereas strain JL164 was related closely to the type strain of Streptomyces mirabilis. It is evident from the present and previous studies that neutrotolerant acidophilic actinomycetes comprise taxonomically diverse groups within the variation encompassed by the genus Streptomyces. It is also apparent that strain CN732T and other members of cluster 13 merit recognition as a novel species, for which the name Streptomyces yeochonensis sp. nov. is proposed.