Polymorphospora lycopeni sp. nov., a lycopene-producing actinomycetes isolated from lakeside soil sample of Baiyangdian

A novel actinomycetes producing lycopene, designated HBU208002^T, was isolated from a lakeside soil sample collected in Baiyangdian, located in Xiong'an New Area of China, and its taxonomic position was investigated by a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that the strain HBU208002^T fell within the genus <i>Polymorphospora</i> and was closely related to <i>Polymorphospora rubra</i> JCM 14904^T (99.73% identity). However, the average nucleotide identity (ANI), digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average amino acid identity (AAI) values between the strain HBU208002^T and <i>P. rubra</i> JCM 14904^T were 91.78, 44.7 and 91.6%, respectively, which were lower than the ANI (95-96%), DDH (>70%) and AAI (>95%) thresholds of prokaryotic microbial defined species. The predominant fatty acids of the strain HBU208002^T were iso-C_16:0, C_17:1 ω8c. The menaquinones of the strain HBU208002^T were MK-8(H₈) and MK9(H₄), while those of <i>P. rubra</i> JCM 14904^T were MK-10(H₆), MK-10(H₄), MK-9(H₆) and MK-9(H₄). Meanwhile, some phenotypic characterizations and antibacterial activities distinguished the strain HBU208002^T from <i>P. rubra</i> JCM 14904^T. The strain HBU208002^T exhibited inhibitory effects on <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>, <i>Fusarium verticillioides</i> and <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, but <i>P. rubra</i> JCM 14904^T had no activity. Therefore, the strain HBU208002^T should be assigned as representing a novel species of the genus <i>Polymorphospora</i>, for which the name <i>Polymorphospora lycopeni</i> was proposed. The type strain is HBU208002^T (=KCTC49833^T = GDMCC4.236^T).