Streptomyces turgidiscabies sp. nov.

A new bacterial species is described, for which the name Streptomyces turgidiscabies is proposed. This organism causes potato (Solanum tuberosum) scab in eastern Hokkaido, Japan; the lesions caused are distinctly erumpent. In culture, S. turgidiscabies is distinct from other scab-causing Streptomyces species, having flexuous spore chains and grey mass colour. The spores of this organism are cylindrical and smooth. Its cell walls contain the LL-diaminopimelic acid isomer, and its DNA G + C content is 71 mol%. S. turgidiscabies does not produce melanin or other diffusible pigments, does not grow on agar media at pH 4.0 or 37 degrees C, is positive for utilization of raffinose and inulin as a carbon source, and is sensitive to streptomycin (20 micrograms ml-1), penicillin G (10 IU ml-1), polymyxin B (15 micrograms ml-1), and thallium acetate (10 micrograms ml-1). The levels of DNA relatedness within S. turgidiscabies strains are high but relatedness between strains of this species and strains of S. acidiscabies, S. scabies, S. caviscabies, S. griseus, S. setonii and S. tendae are low. The type strain is SY9113T (= ATCC 700248T = IFO 16080T).