Nocardia rhamnosiphila sp. nov., isolated from soil

In this study two actinomycete strains were isolated in Cape Town (South Africa), one from a compost heap (strain 202GMOT) and the other from within the fynbos-rich area surrounded by the horseracing track at Kenilworth Racecourse (strain C2). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence BLAST analysis, the strains were identified as members of the genus Nocardia. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the strains clustered together and are most closely related to Nocardia flavorosea NRRL B-16176T, Nocardia testacea JCM 12235T, Nocardia sienata IFM 10088T and Nocardia carnea DSM 43397T. This association was also supported by gyrB based phylogenetic analysis. The results of DNA–DNA hybridization and physiological tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of both strains 202GMOT and C2 from related species. However, their high DNA relatedness showed that they belong to the same species. Strain 202GMOT was selected as the type strain to represent this novel species, for which the name Nocardia rhamnosiphila is proposed (=DSM 45147T = NRRL B-24637T).