Representatives of Saccharomonospora viridis (type strain DSM 43017), Saccharomonospora caesia (type strain DSM 43044), and Saccharomonospora internatus (type strain DSM 43671), together with 52 Saccharomonospora isolates from compost, manure, hay, and soil, were characterized by determining morphological, biochemical, and physiological properties, phage sensitivity, antibiotic activity, enzyme and protein patterns (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), and restriction patterns of chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acids. The type strain of S . internatus proved to be identical to S. viridis, and thus S . internatus should be regarded as a synonym of S. viridis. A total of 16 strains differed significantly from S. viridis and S . caesia and are proposed as members of a new species, Saccharomonospora gZauca (type strain, DSM 43769). Since the three species differ in phage sensitivity, production of antibiotic substances, and enzyme, protein, and deoxyribonucleic acid restriction patterns, these properties can be used for reliable species identification.The genus Saccharomonospora was created by Nonomura and Ohara (24) for monosporic actinomycetes with cell wall type IV (21) (i.e., meso-diaminopimelic acid in the peptidoglycan and arabinose and galactose in cell hydrolysates [sugar type A]). Saccharomonospora is one of several wall type IV actinomycete genera which do not contain mycolic acids (4). Kroppenstedt (17) extended the range of biochemical characteristics for this genus as follows: fatty acid type 2a plus 2-hydroxy fatty acids (mainly iso-branched and 2-hydroxy branched fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms), phospholipid type 2 (mainly hydroxy-and lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine), and menaquinone type 2 [MK-8(H4), MK-9(H,)]. Furthermore, the combination of a green to bluish green color of the aerial and substrate mycelia and monosporic morphology appears to be a good indication that an isolate belongs to the genus Saccharomonospora.Whereas the genus Saccharomonospora is clearly distinguished from other genera of the Actinomycetales, the taxonomy of this group at the species level appears to be less certain. Goodfellow and Pirouz (6), McCarthy and Cross (22), and Greiner-Mai et al. (10) observed heterogeneity among strains labeled Saccharomonospora viridis with regard to color of aerial mycelia (the mycelia of some isolates are violet instead of green), physiological properties, and phage sensitivity. However, the data available at the time that these studies were done did not allow partition of Saccharomonospora viridis into separate species. Kurup (18) considered Micropolyspora caesia (13) and Micropolyspora internatus (1) to be members of the genus Saccharomonospora. This was confirmed by Greiner-Mai et al. (lo), who distinguished three species, Saccharomonospora viridis, Saccharomonospora caesia, and Saccharomonospora internatus. More recently, two new species have been described, Saccharomonospora azurea (27) and Saccharomonospora yunnanensis (3). Since ...
