RHODOCOCCUS-ZOPFII SP-NOV A TOXICANT-DEGRADING BACTERIUM

A toluene-degrading bacterial strain isolated from bioreactors was ide ntified as a member of the genus Rhodococcus on the basis of the follo wing characteristics: meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose, galactose, and glucose are the diagnostic cellular sugars; the mycolic acids cont ain 33 to 36 carbon atoms; and the formation of a branching mycelium i s followed by marked fragmentation of the mycelium into irregular rod- shaped to coccoid units. DNA-DNA hybridization analyses performed with type strains of Rhodococcus species showed that this strain is less t han 70% related to other species that have similar phenotypic characte ristics. On the basis of these findings, we propose that this strain s hould be described as a new species, Rhodococcus zopfii, in honor of W ilhelm Friedrich Zopf. The type strain is strain Tl.