SACCHAROTHRIX ALGERIENSIS SP. NOV., A NEW SPECIES ISOLATED FROM A SAHARAN SOIL

Authors: ZITOUNI, A - ECOLE NATIONALE SUPER; LAMARI, L - LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCHE; BOUDJELLA, H - LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCHE; BADJI, B - LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCE; SABAOU, N - LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCHE; GAOUAR, A - CENTRE DE RECHERCHE SCIEN; MATHIEU, F - ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEUR; LEBRIHI, A - ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEUR; Labeda, David

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/4/2004
Publication Date: 7/15/2004
Citation: Zitouni, A., Lamari, L., Boudjella, H., Badji, B., Sabaou, N., Gaouar, A., Mathieu, F., Lebrihi, A., Labeda, D.P. 2004. Saccharothrix algeriensis sp. nov., a new species isolated from a Saharan soil. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 54:1377-1381.

Interpretive Summary: Microorganisms isolated from soil produce the majority of medically important antibiotics and the search for new compounds continues because of the serious problem of infectious bacteria resistant to many of the widely used antibiotics. An unknown microorganism was isolated from a desert soil from Algeria and found to produce three new antibacterial compounds. The identification of the producing microorganism is important to aid in the search for similar microorganisms that produce other new antibiotics of this type. The genetic, chemical and physiological properties of the new microorganism were studied and it was found to represent a new species to be named Saccharothrix algeriensis and, thus far, no other species in the genus Saccharothrix have been reported to produce similar compounds.

Technical Abstract: The taxonomic position of a soil isolate Strain SA 233T recovered from a saharan soil from Algeria was established using a polyphasic approach. This isolate has been previously reported to produce 3 novel dithiolopyrrolone antibiotics and preliminary chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics observed suggested that it was a member of the genus Saccharothrix. Phylogenetic analysis of the strain from 16S rDNA sequences, along with a detailed analysis of morphological, chemotaxonomic, and physiological characteristics indicates that it belongs to the genus Saccharothrix and represents a novel species that is readily distinguished from all described Saccharothrix species. The name Saccharothrix algeriensis sp. nov. is proposed for the isolate with the type strain NRRL B-24137 (= DSM 44581).