LENTZEA GEN-NOV, A NEW GENUS OF THE ORDER ACTINOMYCETALES

We describe a new genus of mesophilic actinomycetes, for which we prop ose the name Lentzea. The strains of this genus form abundant aerial h yphae that fragment into rod-shaped elements. Whole-cell hydrolysates contain the meso isomer of diaminopimelic acid and no characteristic s ugar (wall chemotype III). The phospholipid pattern type is type PII ( phosphatidylethanolamine is the characteristic phospholipid); the majo r menaquinone is MK-9. The fatty acid profile comprises saturated, uns aturated, and branched-chain fatty acids of the iso and anteiso types in addition to tuberculostearic acid (10Me-C-18:0). A 16S ribosomal DN A sequence analysis revealed that the genus Lentzea is phylogenically related to the genera Actinosynnema, Saccharothrix, and Kutzneria. The type species of this genus is Lentzea albidocapillata sp. nov.: the t ype strain of this species is strain IMMIB D-958 (= DSM 44073).