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Actinomyces naturae sp. nov., the first Actinomyces sp. isolated from a non-human or animal source

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Abstract

Three facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive staining, rod-shaped, non-spore forming, flagellated bacterial strains, BL-75, BL-79T and BL-104, were isolated from chlorinated solvent-contaminated groundwater. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons showed them to represent a distinct lineage within the genus Actinomyces with sequence identities in the range of <88–95.4% with previously described Actinomyces species. The strains were oxidase and catalase negative. Nitrate was not reduced. Esculin was hydrolyzed. Growth occurred in the temperature range of 20–43°C (optimum 30–37°C) and pH range 4.5–9.0 (optimum pH 6.5). Substrates supporting growth included various mono-, di-, and tri-saccharides. The end products of glucose fermentation were acetate, lactate, succinate and formate. Fermentative growth was observed in the presence of near saturation concentrations of perchloroethene (PCE) and toluene and in the presence of 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,1,2-trichloroethane at concentrations up to at least 24.4 mM and 11.2 mM, respectively. The dominant cellular fatty acids when grown in peptone/yeast extract/glucose (PYG) medium were C18:1 ω9c, C16:0, and C14:0. The peptidoglycan was found to contain the amino acids alanine, glutamic acid, lysine, and ornithine at approximate molar ratios of 1.7 Ala: 2.3 Glu: 1.3 Lys: 1.0 Orn. The cell wall sugars were found to include rhamnose and mannose. The polar lipids were found to include diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phospholipid (PL), phosphoglycolipids (PGL), and glycolipids (GL). The main respiratory quinone of strain BL-79T was MK-9(H4), with minor components MK-10(H4) and MK-8(H4). The DNA mol% G+C content of the type strain is 69.8%. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, these strains could be differentiated from previously described species of the genus Actinomyces. Strains BL-75, BL-79T and BL-104 are designated as a novel species, for which the name Actinomyces naturae sp. nov. is proposed. This is the first Actinomyces species isolated from an environmental rather than human or animal sources. The type strain of Actinomyces naturae is BL-79T (= CCUG 56698T = NRRL B-24670T).

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Governors Biotechnology Initiative of the Louisiana Board of Regents Grant BOR #015 Enhancement of the LSU Hazardous Substance Research Center Environmental Biotechnology Initiative. The authors thank M.C. Henk for assistance with microscopy and J.P. Euzeby for assistance with the etymology of the new species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, 3513B Patrick Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Jyoti U. Rao & William M. Moe

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Brian A. Rash & Fred A. Rainey

  3. Departament of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    M. Fernanda Nobre & Milton S. da Costa

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  1. Jyoti U. Rao
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  2. Brian A. Rash
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Correspondence to William M. Moe.

Additional information

The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the 16S rRNA gene sequence of Actinomyces naturae BL-79T is FJ234421.

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Rao, J.U., Rash, B.A., Nobre, M.F. et al. Actinomyces naturae sp. nov., the first Actinomyces sp. isolated from a non-human or animal source. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 101, 155–168 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-011-9644-4

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