TERRACOCCUS LUTEUS GEN. NOV., SP. NOV., AN LL-DIAMINOPIMELIC ACID-CONTAINING COCCOID ACTINOMYCETE FROM SOIL

A gram-positive, aerobic actinomycete was isolated from soil, Spherica l cells of this organism occur singly or form packets, which may clust er. The diagnostic diamino acid of the cell wall peptidoglycan is LL-d iaminopimelic acid, The predominate menaquinone is MK-8 (H-4), and the main fatty acids are 13-methyl tetradecanoic acid and 12-methyl tetra decanoic acid, The diagnostic polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamin e and phosphatidylinositol. The DNA base composition is 73 mol% G+C. C omparison of ICS ribosomal DNA sequenses showed that this isolate is a phylogenetic neighbor of Terrabacter tumescens and Intrasporangium ca lvum. Genotypic, chemotaxonomic, morphological, and physiological char acteristics are used to describe a nem genus and species, Terracoccus luteus gen, nov., sp. nov. The type strain is strain IMET 7848 (= DSM 44267).