An antibiotic producing novel Planctomycete strain, designated JC280, was isolated from the surface of the plant Hydrilla verticillata collected from an alkaline lake (Buffalo lake), University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India. The morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of strain JC280 were in agreement with the characteristics of the genus Planctopirus. The cell shape was spherical to ovoid and some were tear drop shaped. The cells were Gram-stain-negative divided by budding presenting stalks and rosette formation and were non-sporulating. Crateriform structures with a sub-polar flagellum were observed. Characteristic polyamines were putrescine and spermidine. Diagnostic polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified phospholipid (PL1), unidentified glycolipids (GL1-2), an unidentified aminophospholipid (APL), and an unidentified lipid (L3). Major (>10%) fatty acids were C, Cω8c, Cω9c, and summed feature-3. Major (88%) respiratory quinone was MK-6 with minor amount (12%) of MK-7. Strain JC280 showed 99.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Planctopirus limnophila DSM 3776. To resolve their full taxonomic position, the genome sequence was obtained and compared with the available P. limnophila DSM 3776 genome. The genome sequence of strain JC280 was 5,750,243 bp in size with a total of 4490 protein-coding genes, 66 RNA genes, and 2 CRISPR repeats. Based on whole-genome statistics, ANI value, in silico DDH, diversity of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, distinct physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic differences, strain JC280 represents a new species in the genus Planctopirus, for which the name Planctopirus hydrillae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JC280 (=KCTC 42880 LMG 29153).

Five sponge specimens belonging to the genera Spongilla and Ciocalypta were collected from Little Rann of Kutch (in Gujarat, India) and analysed for associated microbiomes. Critical analysis was done with respect to members of the phylum Planctomycetes, using two different strategies; 1. Culture-independent metagenomic approach and 2. culture-dependent anaerobic enrichment for anammox-planctomycetes. The 16S rRNA gene (V1-V3 region) amplicon metagenome analysis revealed significant divergence in bacterial diversity, including Planctomycetes among the sponges analysed. Community metagenomics revealed a total of 376 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) belonging to 41 different phyla. OTUs belonging to Proteobacteria was the most abundant (38%) among the sponge analysed. The KEGG annotation predicted a total of 6909 KEGG orthologs (KOs); most of the KOs are associated with membrane transport, xenobiotic degradation, production of secondary metabolites, amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. In the culture-dependent study, FISH analysis confirmed the association of anammox-planctomycetes with sponges. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of two planctomycetes (JC545, JC543) were cladding with those of uncultured Phycisphaerae class. The other three putative anammox bacteria (JC541, JC542, JC544) formed a different clade with "Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans". These three putative bacteria believably represent new species/genus related to "Candidatus Brocadia".

A novel actinomycete strain, designated VRC21(T), was isolated from the rhizosphere of Callistemon citrinus collected from Hyderabad, India. The morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of strain VRC21(T) was consistent with the characteristics of members of the genus Streptosporangium, that is, the formation of sporangia on aerial mycelium, coiled unbranched hyphae within the spore vesicle, the presence of meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall, and madurose and galactose as major whole-cell sugars. Diagnostic polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol-mannosides. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H2) and MK-9(H4). The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C14:0, iso-C16:0, C17:0 10-methyl, C18:1w9c and C18:0 10-methyl. 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed that strain VRC21(T) was a member of the genus Streptosporangium. The highest similarity values were observed with S. carneum DSM 44125(T) (98.2%) and S. fragile DSM 43847(T) (98.2%); the values of the remaining type strains were below 98%. The values of DNA-DNA relatedness between the strain VRC21(T) and the type strains of the related species were below 70%. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence, the strain VRC21(T) should be classified as novel species Streptosporangium terrae sp. nov. in the genus Streptosporangium. The type strain is VRC21(T) (=KCTC 29207(T)=MTCC 11724(T)).

Saccharopolyspora indica sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from the rhizosphere of Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Electron Microscope Facility, NIN, Tarnaka, Hyderabad-500007, Andhra Pradesh, IndiaA novel actinomycete strain, designated VRC122 T , was isolated from a Callistemon citrinus rhizosphere sample collected from New Delhi, India, and its taxonomic status was determined by using a polyphasic approach. Strain VRC122T was a Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile, non-acid-alcohol-fast strain. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed the strain was placed in a well-separated sub-branch within the genus Saccharopolyspora. The highest levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity were found with Saccharopolyspora hirsuta subsp. kobensis JCM 9109 T (98.71 %), Saccharopolyspora antimicrobica I05-00074 T (98.69 %) and Saccharopolyspora jiangxiensis W12 T (98.66 %); 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with type strains of all other species of the genus Saccharopolyspora were below 98 %. Chemosystematic studies revealed that it contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. Arabinose and galactose were the predominant whole-cell sugars. Diagnostic polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine. MK-9(H 6 ) was the predominant menaquinone. C 14 : 0 , C 16 : 0 , iso-C 15 : 0, iso-C 16 : 0 , iso-C 17 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 0 , anteiso-C 17 : 0 , C 17 : 0 cyclo and summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 v7c and/or C 16 : 1 v6c) were the major cellular fatty acids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 69.5 mol%. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization (30 %, 22 % and 25 %, respectively) with type strains of the above-mentioned species, in combination with differences in physiological and biochemical data supported that strain VRC122 T represents a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora, for which the name Saccharopolyspora indica sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is VRC122 T (5KCTCThe genus Saccharopolyspora was first described by Lacey & Goodfellow (1975) and was assigned to the family Pseudonocardiaceae (Warwick et al., 1994). At the time of writing, the genus consists of 21 recognized species, namely Saccharopolyspora hirsuta (Lacey & Goodfellow, 1975) cavernae ' (Cheng et al., 2013), have been published but the names that are yet to be validly published. In the present study, we describe the taxonomic characterization of a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora. Strain VRC122T was isolated from a rhizosphere sample of Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels, from New Delhi, IndiaThe GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain VRC122T is JX411621. (GPS coordinates for the sampling site: 28 u 369 500 N 77 u 129 320 E), with the prospect that they might produce novel antimicrobial agents. Soil samples were collected in sterile tubes and brought to the laboratory of Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. Samples were dried in laminar flow under aseptic conditions. By using the serial dilution technique, samples were made up to 10 25 dilu...