Revival of the genus Lentzea and proposal far Lechevalieria gen. nov.

The genus Saccharothrix is phylogenetically heterogeneous on the basis of a nalysis of almost complete 16S rDNA sequences. An evaluation of chemotaxono mic, morphological and physiological properties in the light of the molecul ar phylogeny data revealed that several species are misclassified. Saccharo thrix aerocolonigenes NRRL B-3298(T) and Saccharothrix flava NRRL B-16131(T ) constitute a lineage distinct from Saccharothrix and separate from Lentze a. The genus Lechevalieria gen. nov. is proposed for these species. Lecheva lieria aerocolonigenes comb. nov. is the type species and S. flava is trans ferred as Lechevalieria flava comb. nov. Although Lentzea albidocapillata, the type species of the genus Lentzea, was transferred recently to the genu s Saccharothrix, the revival of Lentzea is clearly supported by molecular p hylogenetic and chemotaxonomic data. The description of the revived genus i s emended to include galactose, mannose and traces of ribose as diagnostic whole-cell sugars and MK-9(H-4) as the principal menaquinone and eliminatio n of tuberculostearic acid as a diagnostic component in the fatty acid prof ile. Saccharothrix waywayandensis NRRL B-16159(T), S. aerocolonigenes NRRL B-16137 and 'Asiosporangium albidum' IFO 16102 are members of the amended g enus Lentzea on the basis of phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic properties. S. waywayandensis is transferred to Lentzea as Lentzea waywayandensis comb. n ov., while the new species Lentzea californiensis sp. nov. and Lentzea albi da sp. nov, are described for S. aerocolonigenes NRRL B-16137 and 'A. albid um' IFO 16102, respectively. Nucleotide signatures in the 16S rDNA sequence s are defined that are diagnostic for the genera Lechevalieria, Lentzea and Saccharothrix.