Streptomyces africanus sp. nov., a novel streptomycete with blue aerial mycelium.

An actinomycete with blue aerial mycelium and yellow substrate mycelium was isolated from a suburban soil sample collected in Cape Town, South Africa and named strain CPJVR-HT. The colour of the substrate mycelium was not sensitive to changes in pH. The organism produced spiny spores in Spirales spore chains. Chemical taxonomy indicated that it is a member of the genus Streptomyces. Strain CPJVR-HT grew at 45 degrees C and did not produce melanin or any diffusible pigments. It exhibited weak antibacterial activity against a clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecium, but no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 or Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Analysis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence, DNA-DNA hybridization studies and the results of physiological tests showed that this strain represents a novel species of Streptomyces, for which the name Corynebacterium aurimucosum [corrected] nov. is proposed. The type strain is CPJVR-HT (= NRRL B-24243T [corrected] = DSM 41829T).