Yutaka Hoshino

BBM-1675, a new antitumor antibiotic complex

An actinomycete strain No. G455-101 isolated from a soil sample collected in Luzon Island, Philippines produced a new antitumor antibiotic complex BBM-928. The organism was determined to be a new species of the genus Actinomadura and designated Actinomadura luzonensis nov. sp. The type strain, No. G455-101, has been deposited under the number ATCC 31491.

New Genus of the Actinomycetales: Streptoalloteichus hindustanus gen. nov., nom. rev.; sp. nov., nom. rev.

Streptoalloteichus hindustanus was originally described in 1978 as a genus and species of the family Actinoplanaceae. However, the taxonomic position of this organism should be transferred to a taxon that includes the genera Nocardiopsis, Actinosynnema, and Saccharothrix, based on the lowering of the taxonomic significance of sporangiumlike vesicles bearing flagellate spores and on a cell chemistry profile comprising the following: cell wall type III; a whole-cell sugar composition that is a variant of pattern C (presence of galactose, mannose, and rhamnose); menaquinones MK9(H6) and MK10(H6) as the major menaquinones; and phospholipid type P-II (presence of phosphatidylethanolamine). Chemotaxonomically, this organism is related to Saccharothrix australiensis, while it is differentiated by its Streptomyces-type morphology; i.e., spore chain formation at the tip of aerial hyphae, formation of two distinct types of spore chains, lack of mycelial fragmentation, and the capricious formation of sporangiumlike vesicles bearing flagellate spores. The type strain is C677-91T (ATCC 31217).

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).