Ornithinicococcus hortensis gen. nov., sp nov., a soil actinomycete which contains L-ornithine

Two Cram-positive coccoid, non-motile bacteria with L-ornithine as diagnost ic diamino acid of the peptidoglycan and an interpeptide bridge of L-Orn <- - Gly((1.2)) <-- D-Glu were isolated from a sample of garden soil. The majo r menaquinone is MK-8(H-4). 13-methyl and 12-methyl tetradecanoic acids are the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipids are phosphatidyl inositol, p hosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine and two unk nown phospholipids. Mycolic acids are absent. the DNA base composition is 7 2 mol% G+C. Recent comparative 16S rDNA studies revealed that strains HKI 0 125(T) and HKI 0131 represent a novel lineage adjacent to the family Intras porangiaceae of the order Actinomycetales but distinct from the previously described genera of this family. On the basis of the genotypic, chemotaxono mic, morphological and physiological characteristics of these two isolates it is proposed to classify HKI 0125T and HKI 0131 in a new genus and specie s for which the name Ornithinicoccus hortensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is propo sed. The type strain is HKI 0125(T) (= DSM 12335(T)).