Micromonospora polyrhachis sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from edible Chinese black ant (Polyrhachis vicina Roger)

Abstract

A novel actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-ycm2T, was isolated from edible Chinese black ants (Polyrhachis vicina Roger) and characterized using a polyphasic approach. The organism was found to have morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics typical of the genus Micromonospora . The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain NEAU-ycm2T showed highest similarity to those of Micromonospora sonneratiae 274745T (99.12 %), Micromonospora pattaloongensis TJ2-2T (98.85 %), Micromonospora pisi GUI 15T (98.76 %), Polymorphospora rubra TT 97-42T (98.42 %) and Micromonospora eburnea LK2-10T (98.21 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and gyrB gene demonstrated that strain NEAU-ycm2T is a member of the genus Micromonospora and supported the close phylogenetic relationship to M. sonneratiae 274745T, M. pattaloongensis JCM 12833T and M. pisi GUI 15T. Furthermore, a combination of DNA–DNA hybridization and some physiological and biochemical properties indicated that the novel strain could be readily distinguished from its closest phylogenetic relatives. Therefore, it is proposed that NEAU-ycm2T represents a novel species of the genus of Micromonospora , for which the name Micromonospora polyrhachis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-ycm2T ( = CGMCC 4.7100T = DSM 45886T).