Biosystematic studies on novel streptomycetes from soil

Members of three putatively novel Streptomyces species, designated Streptom yces groups A, B and C, were repeatedly isolated from environmental samples taken from four hay meadow plots at Cockle Park Experimental Farm, Northum berland (UK). Representative isolates were found to have properties consist ent with their classification in the genus Streptomyces and were recovered in three taxa using different phenotypic criteria, namely morphological and pigmentation properties, rapid enzyme tests, and whole-organism fatty acid , protein electrophoretic and pyrolysis mass-spectrometric data. The isolat es were rapidly characterised as three taxonomic groups using pyrolysis mas s spectrometry. The three taxa were also distinguished from one another and from validly described species of Streptomyces using rapid enzyme tests ba sed on the fluorophores 7-amino-methylcoumarin and 4-methylumbelliferone, a nd computer-assisted identification procedures. The results indicate that s elective isolation and rapid characterisation of streptomycetes using pyrol ysis mass spectrometry provide a practical way of determining the phenotypi c species diversity of streptomycetes in natural habitats. The experimental data also indicate that representative sampling of cultivable streptomycet es from soil can best be achieved using a multi-step extraction procedure c oupled with the use of selective isolation procedures.