Saccharopolyspora halophila sp. nov., a novel halophilic actinomycete isolated from a saline lake in China.

A halophilic actinomycete strain, designated YIM 90500(T), was isolated from a saline lake in Xinjiang province, north-west China and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Good growth of the novel isolate occurred at 28-37 degrees C, pH 7-8 and with 10-15 % (w/v) NaCl; no growth occurred without any salts. Strain YIM 90500(T) contained meso-diaminopimelic acid with glucose, arabinose and ribose as the whole-cell sugars. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylcholine and diphosphatidylglycerol. MK-9(H(4)) was the predominant menaquinone. The major fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(16 : 0) and anteiso-C(17 : 0). The chemotaxonomic data together with the morphological properties of strain YIM 90500(T) consistently assigned the strain as belonging to the genus Saccharopolyspora. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences further revealed that strain YIM 90500(T) formed a distinct phyletic lineage in the genus Saccharopolyspora and showed low 16S rRNA gene similarities (<96.4 %) with other species of the genus. On the basis of the evidence from the polyphasic study, a novel species, Saccharopolyspora halophila sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is YIM 90500(T) (=DSM 45007(T)=KCTC 19162(T)).