Reclassification of Amycolatopsis orientalis DSM 43387 as Amycolatopsis benzoatilytica sp. nov.

Amycolatopsis orientalis DSM 43387, a clinical isolate from submandibular mycetoma tissue, is one of three plasmid-bearing strains of the genus Amycolatopsis. It degrades aromatic compounds such as m-hydroxybenzoate, but does not produce any antibiotics, in contrast to Amycolatopsis orientalis NBRC 12806<SUP>T</SUP>. Phylogenetic analysis based on a complete 16S rRNA gene sequence placed the strain in the clade of Amycolatopsis albidoflavus IMSNU 22139<SUP>T</SUP>, distant from the clade of A. orientalis NBRC 12806<SUP>T</SUP>. The strain showed low DNA-DNA hybridization values of 24·1 and 45·7% with A. orientalis NBRC 12806<SUP>T</SUP> and A. albidoflavus DSM 44639<SUP>T</SUP> (=IMSNU 22139<SUP>T</SUP>), respectively. It could also be readily distinguished from A. orientalis NBRC 12806<SUP>T</SUP> and all species with validly published names classified in the genus Amycolatopsis, by using a combination of chemical and physiological markers such as utilization of lactose, degradation of xanthine, hypoxanthine, gelatin and casein and hydrolysis of Tween 80, indicating that it represents a novel species. Strain DSM 43387 could also be differentiated from A. orientalis NBRC 12806<SUP>T</SUP> and its nearest neighbour A. albidoflavus IMSNU 22139<SUP>T</SUP> on the basis of fatty acid and phospholipid profiles. Based on genotypic and phenotypic differences, the name Amycolatopsis benzoatilytica sp. nov. is proposed for strain DSM 43387 that was previously classified as Amycolatopsis orientalis. The type strain is AK 16/65<SUP>T</SUP> (=DSM 43387<SUP>T</SUP>=ATCC 55165<SUP>T</SUP>=IMRU 1389<SUP>T</SUP>)