Streptosporangium algeriense sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from desert soil

The taxonomic position of a novel actinobacterium, strain 169^T, isolated from a sample of Algerian Saharan soil, was determined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The aerial mycelium produced non-motile, round- to oval-shaped spores, with a smooth surface, which were sessile or carried by short sporophores. Chemotaxonomically, isolate 169^T showed the same results as members of the genus Streptosporangium, but madurose, the so far diagnostic sugar of the genus, was not detected in the whole-cell hydrolysate. Despite the absence of sporangia, the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed that strain 169^T was a member of the genus Streptosporangium. Strain 169^T was most closely related to Streptosporangium jomthongense NBRC 110047^T (99.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), which is the only non-sporangia-forming species reported among the genus. However, DNA-DNA hybridization studies with this species showed 60 % relatedness. Based upon genotypic and phenotypic data, a novel species, Streptosporangium algeriense sp. nov., is proposed, with 169^T ( = DSM 45455^T = MTCC 11561^T = CCUG 62974^T) as the type strain.