STREPTOMYCES SEOULENSIS SP-NOV

The taxonomic position of an actinomycete strain isolated from Korean soil was examined by a polyphasic approach. The isolate, designated IM SNU-1, was clearly assigned to the genus Streptomyces on the basis of morphological and chemotaxonomic data, The test strain was the subject of a probabilistic identification study using the identification matr ices generated by Langham et al. (J. Gen, Microbiol. 135:121-133, 1989 ) and found to be marginally close to clusters 19 and 39, An almost co mplete 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) sequence mas obtained for the test strain and compared with those of representative streptomycetes. 16S rDNA seq uence data not only support the strain's membership in the genus Strep tomyces but also provide strong evidence that our isolate is genealogi cally distant from representatives of clusters 19 and 39, forming a se parate phyletic line in a clade encompassed by streptomycetes. It is t herefore proposed from the polyphasic evidence that strain IMSNU-1 be classified in the genus Streptomyces as Streptomyces seoulensis sp, no v.