Takeo Miyaki

Kibdelosporangium albatum sp. nov., producer of the antiviral antibiotics cycloviracins.

A new species of the genus Kibdelosporangium is described. This soil organism forms long straight spore chains and numerous sporangium-like structures on the aerial mycelium. The new species has type IV cell walls and pattern A whole-cell sugars (meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose, and galactose are present), type PII phospholipids, MK-9(H4) as the major menaquinone, and no mycolic acids. On the basis of morphology and chemotaxonomy, the single isolate is assigned to the genus Kibdelosporangium. The isolate differs from two previously described species of the genus in fatty acid composition, the absence of melanin formation, and many physiological and biochemical characteristics and is identified as a new species. Accordingly, the name Kibdelosporangium albatum sp. nov. is proposed for this isolate. The type strain is R761-7 (= ATCC 55061).