Actinospica durhamensis sp nov., isolated from a spruce forest soil

Seven acidophilic actinobacteria isolated from humus and mineral layers of a spruce forest soil were examined using a polyphasic approach. Chemotaxonomic properties of the isolates were found to be consistent with their classification in the genus Actinospica. The strains formed a distinct phyletic line in the Actinospica 16S rRNA gene tree being most closely related to Actinospica robiniae DSM 44927(T) (98.7-99.3 % similarity). DNA:DNA relatedness between isolate CSCA57(T) and the type strain of A. robiniae was found to be low at 40.8 (+/- 6.6) %. The isolates were shown to have many phenotypic properties in common and were distinguished readily from the type strains of Actinospica acidiphila and A. robiniae using a range of phenotypic features. On the basis of these data the seven isolates were considered to represent a new species for which the name Actinospica durhamensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is CSCA 57(T) (=DSM 46820(T) = NCIMB 14953(T)).