Luteipulveratus flavus sp. nov. isolated from two lichen species

Two novel strains, YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296, were isolated from lichen samples collected from Yunnan Province, Southwest PR China. YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296 are aerobic, Gram-staining-positive, non-motile actinomycetes. They are also catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, and YIM 133132^T formed flat yellowish colonies that were relatively dry on YIM38 agar medium. Flat yellowish colonies of YIM 133296 were also observed on YIM38 agar medium. YIM 133132^T grew at 25-35 °C (optimum 25-30 °C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-8% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strains YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296 represented members of the genus Luteipulveratus and exhibited high sequence similarity (96.93%) with Luteipulveratus halotolerans C296001^T. The genomic DNA G+C content of both strains was 71.8%. The DNA-DNA hybridisation (dDDH) values between YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296 were 85.1%, and the DNA-DNA hybridisation value between YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296 and L. halotolerans C296001^T was 23.4%. On the basis of the draft genome sequences, the average nucleotide identity (ANI) between strains YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296 and L. halotolerans C296001^T was 80.8%. The major menaquinones that were identified were MK-8(H₄), MK-9 and MK-8(H₂). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. On the basis of the morphological, physiological, biochemical, genomic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strains YIM 133132^T and YIM 133296 can be clearly distinguished from L. halotolerans C296001^T, and the two strains represent a novel species for which the name L. flavus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 133132^T (CGMCC= 1.61357^T and KCTC= 49824^T).