Nocardiopsis flavescens sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from marine sediment

A Gram-positive, aerobic bacterium, strain SA6 ^T, was isolated from marine sediment taken at a depth of 20 cm on the seashore of Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China. Strain SA6 ^T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, no diagnostic sugars, type PIII phospholipids, and MK-10(H ₂) and MK-10(H ₄) as the predominant menaquinones. The organism showed a range of chemical and morphological properties consistent with its classification in the genus Nocardiopsis. The almostcomplete 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain SA6 ^T was aligned with corresponding sequences of representatives of the genus Nocardiopsis and related taxa by using two tree-making algorithms. Strain SA6 ^T formed a distinct phyletic line within the evolutionary radiation occupied by the genus Nocardiopsis and was related most closely to the type strain of Nocardiopsis lucentensis. Strain SA6 ^T could be distinguished from its nearest phylogenetic relatives in the genus Nocardiopsis based on DNA-DNA relatedness data and a combination of phenotypic properties. Strain SA6 ^T should therefore be assigned to the genus Nocardiopsis as a representative of a novel species, for which the name Nocardiopsis flavescens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SA6 ^T (=CGMCC 4.5723 ^T =JCM 17424 ^T).