Three novel Actinoplanes species isolated by using polyaspartic acid as a water-retaining agent for the enrichment in situ.

Three novel actinomycete strains, designated TRM66264-DLMT, TRM88002T and TRM88003T, were isolated by using polyaspartic acid as a water-retaining agent for the enrichment in situ. The 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analyses of three strains indicated that they belonged to the genus Actinoplanes. The phylogenetically closest strains of TRM66264-DLMT, TRM88002T and TRM88003T were Actinoplanes bogorensis LIPI11-2-Ac043T (98.4 %), Actinoplanes abujensis A4029T (98.0 %) and Actinoplanes ferrugineus IFO15555T (98.1 %), respectively. The major polar lipids of strains TRM66264-DLMT and TRM88002T were phosphatidylethanolamine and disphosphatidylglycerol, while strain TRM88003T only had phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant menaquinones of strain TRM66264-DLMT were identified as MK-9(H4) and MK-9 (H6). Strains TRM88002T and TRM88003T had MK-9(H4). The cell-wall peptidoglycan of three strains contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The whole-cell sugars of strain TRM66264-DLMT were identified as arabinose, glucose, galactose and xylose. Strains TRM88002T and TRM88003T mainly had arabinose and glucose. The DNA G+C content of strains TRM66264-DLMT, TRM88002T and TRM88003T were 70.48, 70.46 and 70.64 mol%, respectively. Genotypic and phenotypic analysis confirmed that all three strains sre new members of the genus Acinoplanes. Therefore, it is proposed that strains TRM66264-DLMT, TRM88002T and TRM88003T represent three novel species of the genus Actinoplanes, for which the names Actinoplanes polyasparticus sp. nov. (type strain TRM66264-DLMT=CCTCC AA 2021015T=LMG 32389T), Actinoplanes hotanensis sp. nov. (type strain TRM88002T=CCTCC AA 2021036T=LMG 32621T) and Actinoplanes aksuensis sp. nov. (type strain TRM88003T=CCTCC AA 2021037 T=LMG 32622T) are proposed.

Effect of polyaspartic acid on soil water storage, soil microbial diversity, cotton yield and fiber quality.

Water-saving is one of the most important problems in agricultural development, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The effects of polyaspartic acid (PASP) on soil water storage, soil microbial community, soil physiochemical properties, cotton yield and fiber quality were studied to find water-saving material utilized in cotton field. The experiment was divided into two parts, the first part concerned the direct application of three different amounts of PASP under field conditions. In the second part, PASP was mixed with soil in different proportions and the mixtures were put into bottles, which were then buried in the cotton field. The application of PASP improved the water-holding capacity and thus increased water content available to the cotton root system in the cotton field for a long time, and significantly (p < 0.05) increased the content of soil organic matter, available P and ammonium-N. Relative abundances of Methylophaga, Sphingomonas, Cupriavidus, Pseudeurotium, Fusarium and Nectria were significantly affected by applying PASP. Compared to the control group, 15, 75 and 150 kg ha-1 of PASP increased seed cotton yield by 3.94, 8.31 and 7.71%, respectively. The application of PASP also increased the reflectance degree, Micronaire and short fiber index of cotton. These results suggested that 75 kg ha-1 of PASP can be appropriate to alleviate drought stress in arid and semi-arid areas.

Streptomyces griseicoloratus sp. nov., isolated from soil in cotton fields in Xinjiang, China.

A novel bacterium of the genus Streptomyces, designated TRM S81-3T, was isolated from soil in cotton fields of Xinjiang, China. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain TRM S81-3T is most closely related to Streptomyces viridiviolaceus NBRC 13359T (98.9% sequence similarity); however, the average nucleotide identity (ANI) between strains TRM S81-3T and S. viridiviolaceus NBRC 13359T is relatively low (91.6%). Strain TRM S81-3T possesses LL-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic cell-wall diamino acid, MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6), and MK-9(H10) as the major menaquinones, and polar lipids including diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylmethyl ethanolamine (PME), phosphotidylinositolone (PI), phospholipid of unknown structure containing glucosamine (NPG), and two unidentified phospholipids (PLs).The major fatty acids are iso-C16:0, anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:1 ω9c, anteiso-C17:0, iso-C15:0, and C14:0. The genomic DNA G + C content is 72.1%. Based on the evidence from this polyphasic study, strain TRM S81-3T represents a novel species of Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces grisecoloratus is proposed. The type strain is TRM S81-3T (= CCTCC AA 2020002T = LMG 31942T).

Streptomyces apocyni sp. nov., an endogenous actinomycete isolated from Apocynum venetum.

A novel actinomycete, designated strain TRM 66233T, was isolated from Apocynum venetum L. collected from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences affiliated strain TRM 66233T with the genus Streptomyces. Strain TRM 66233T showed a high similarity value to Streptomyces bikiniensis NRRL B-1049T (98.07 %) based on the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree. The whole-cell sugar pattern of TRM 66233T consisted of glucose, galactose, mannose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H2), MK-9(H6), MK-9(H8) and MK-9(H10). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and four unidentified lipids. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. The G+C content of the DNA was 70.35 mol%. The DNA-DNA relatedness and average nucleotide identity values as well as evolutionary distances based on multilocus (atpD, gyrB, recA, rpoB and trpB) sequences between strain TRM 66233T and closely related type strains were significantly lower than the recommended threshold values. The whole-genome average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain TRM 66233T and S. bikiniensis NRRL B-1049T were 78.86 and 23.2 %, respectively. On the basis of evidence from this polyphasic study, strain TRM 66233T should represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces apocyni sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 66233T (=CCTCC AA 2019056T=LMG 31559T).

Colonization on Cotton Plants with a GFP Labeled Strain of Bacillus axarquiensis.

Verticillium dahliae was one of the most important diseases caused Verticillium wilt of cotton. In our previous study, Bacillus axarquiensis TUBP1 was screened and found to be an antagonistic strain against V. dahliae with 43% biocontrol effect in the cotton field. In order to uncover the functional mechanism of B. axarquiensis against Verticillium wilt in cotton, the colonization of B. axarquiensis labeled with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) was investigated in cotton plants and the rhizosphere soil. Firstly, a plasmid (pHT-315) containing gfp gene was successfully transformed into wild B. axarquiensis TUBP1 and labeled a green fluorescence by electroporation, which didn't change the bioactivity in vitro. In gnotobiotic conditions, cotton seeds were then inoculated with the gfp-labeled strain and grown in green house. Observation with a confocal laser scanning microscope and a scanning electron microscope showed that GFP-labeled B. axarquiensis TUBP1 infected cotton roots and widely distributed in epidermis, cortical parenchyma, intercellular spaces, the xylem vessels, and pith cells as well as root hair cells through cracks formed at the lateral root junctions, followed by a slow migration from roots to stems and leaves. Quantitative fluorescence and flow cytometry (FACS) approaches showed a gradual decrease in the number of TUBP1-315gfp with increasing inoculation time. However, TUBP1-315gfp levels were detectable till 45 days after planting. In contrast, no fluorescence signal was detected in the non-inoculated groups. Therefore, GFP-labeled B. axarquiensis TUBP1 exhibited colonization in different parts of cotton plants from the rhizosphere soil.

Streptomyces salilacus sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a salt lake.

The taxonomic position of a novel actinomycete, strain TRM 41337T, isolated from sediment of a salt lake, Xiaoerkule Lake, Xinjiang, China, was determined by a polyphasic approach. Strain TRM 41337T grew optimally at 28 °C and in the presence of 1 % (w/v) NaCl. It grew at up to pH 12. The whole-cell sugars of strain TRM 41337T were ribose and xylose. The diagnostic diamino acid contained ll-diaminopimelic acid. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositolmannoside and two other unidentified phospholipids. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H8), MK-9, MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H6). The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 1 H. Based on morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, the isolate was determined to belong to the genus Streptomyces. The phylogenetic tree based on its nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence (1498 nt) with representative strains showed that the strain consistently falls into a distinct phyletic lineage together with Streptomyces barkulensis DSM 42082T (97.48 % similarity) and a subclade consisting of Streptomyces fenghuangensis GIMN 4.003T (97.20 %), Streptomyces macrosporus NBRC 14748T (97.14 %) and Streptomyces radiopugnans R97T (97.01 %). On the basis of these data, strain TRM 41337T should be designated as a representative of a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces salilacus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 41337T (=CCTCC AA 2015030T=KCTC 39726T).

Glycomyces xiaoerkulensis sp. nov., isolated from Xiaoerkule lake in Xinjiang, China.

A novel actinomycete, strain TRM 41368T, was isolated from a silt sample from Xiaoerkule lake in Xinjiang province, China, and was examined using a polyphasic approach. Strain TRM 41368T was aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, with an optimum NaCl concentration for growth of 5 % (w/v), and an optimum temperature for growth of 35-37 °C. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain TRM 41368T was most closely related to Glycomycesfuscus TRM 49117T (98.46 % similarity). However, it had a relatively low DNA-DNA relatedness value with G. fuscus TRM 49117T (ANI=70.59 %). The organism had chemical and morphological features typical of the genus Glycomyces. The cell wall of TRM 41368T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid; xylose, ribose and glucose were the major whole-cell sugars. The diagnostic polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositolmannosides. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H6). The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω9c, C16 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The G+C content of the DNA was 69.9 mol%. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence, strain TRM 41368T should be designated as a novel species of the genus Glycomyces, for which the name Glycomyces xiaoerkulensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 41368T (=CCTCC AA 2017005T=KCTC 39932T).

Saccharopolyspora aidingensis sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a salt lake.

A novel halophilic actinomycete strain, designated TRM 46074T, was isolated from Aiding salt lake in Turpan Basin, north-west China. Strain TRM 46074T was aerobic, Gram-stain-positive and grew optimally with 12 % (w/v) NaCl. The strain was observed to produce sparse aerial mycelium with long chains of spores that were non-motile and oval or spherical in shape with a rough or smooth surface; substrate mycelium was branched and well developed. The cell wall was determined to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid; the diagnostic whole-cell sugars were galactose, arabinose and ribose. The diagnostic polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H4), MK-10(H8) and MK-10(H4). The G+C content of the DNA was 70.9 mol%. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain TRM 46074T belongs to the genus Saccharopolyspora. Strain TRM 46074T had 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 99.6 % with the closest described species, Saccharopolyspora ghardaiensis H53T. DNA-DNA hybridization between strain TRM 46074T and Saccharopolysporaghardaiensis H53T showed 58.6 % relatedness. On the basis of the evidence from a polyphasic study, strain TRM 46074T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Saccharopolyspora, for which the name Saccharopolyspora aidingensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 46074T (=CCTCC AA 2012014T=JCM 30185T).

Streptomyces luteus sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from soil.

A Streptomyces-like strain, designated TRM 45540T, was isolated from soil of the Loulan area (89° 22' 22″ E 40° 29' 55″ N), Xinjiang Province, north-west China, and was characterized taxonomically by using a polyphasic study. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain TRM 45540T shared 99.87 % similarity with Streptomyces mutabilis NBRC 12800T (GenBank accession number AB184156). The strain was aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, with an optimum NaCl concentration for growth of 5 % (w/v). The isolate formed white aerial mycelium that was long filamentous with few branches; the substrate mycelium possessed long, smooth-surfaced spore chains bearing smooth spores and produced a yellow diffusible pigment. The strain contained iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and C16 : 0 as major cellular fatty acids. The predominant menaquinones of the strain were MK-9(H6), MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H10). The whole-cell sugar pattern contained glucose and ribose. The polar lipid pattern of the strain consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphotidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositolmannosides. Genotypic and phenotypic data confirmed that strain TRM 45540T represents a novel species, clearly different from related species of the genus Streptomyces, and for which the name Streptomyces luteus (type strain TRM 45540T=CCTCC AA 2014003T=NRRL B-59117T) is proposed.

Streptomyces kalpinensis sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a salt water beach.

A novel actinobacterium designated TRM 46509T was isolated from a salt water beach at Kalpin, Xinjiang, north-west China. The strain was aerobic and Gram-stain-positive, with an optimum NaCl concentration for growth of 1 % (w/v). The isolate formed sparse aerial mycelium and produced spiral spores at the end of the aerial mycelium on Gauze's No. 1 medium. The isolate contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and ribose as the major whole-cell sugar. The polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannosides and an unidentified phospholipid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H2), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8). The major fatty acids were C16:0, iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C14 : 0. The G+C content of the DNA was 69.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain TRM 46509T shared 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.6 % with the closest described species Streptomyces tacrolimicus ATCC 55098T. On the basis of evidence from this polyphasic study, strain TRM 46509T should be designated as representing a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces kalpinensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 46509T (=CCTCC AA 2015028T=KCTC 39667T).

Streptomyces canalis sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from an alkali-removing canal.

A novel actinomycete strain, designated TRM 46794-61T, was isolated from an alkali-removing canal in 14th Farms of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, north-west China. The isolate contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The whole-cell sugar patterns of the isolate contained ribose, mannose and glucose. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and two unidentified phospholipids. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H2), MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8). The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The G+C content of the DNA was 70.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain TRM 46794-61T had a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.6 % with the most closely related species with a validly published name, Streptomyces aidingensis TRM 46012T, and it could be distinguished from all species in the genus Streptomyces based on data from this polyphasic taxonomic study. However, DNA-DNA hybridization studies between strain TRM 46794-61T and S.aidingensis TRM 46012T showed only 45.4 % relatedness. On the basis of these data, strain TRM 46794-61T should be designated as a representative of a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces canalis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 46794-61T (=CCTCC AA 2015006T=KCTC 39568T).

Streptomyces litoralis sp. nov., isolated from a salt water beach.

A novel actinomycete strain, designated TRM 46515T, was isolated from a salt water beach at Awat, Xinjiang, Northwest China, and characterized using polyphasic taxonomy. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TRM 46515T is a member of the genus Streptomyces, exhibiting highest similarity with Streptomyces qinglanensis 172205T (98.32 %). However, DNA-DNA relatedness and phenotypic data readily distinguished strain TRM 46515T from phylogenetically related type strains. The G+C content of the DNA was 70.40 mol%. Whole-cell hydrolysates of strain TRM 46515T were found to contain ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and ribose was the major whole-cell sugar. The major fatty acids identified were anteiso-C17 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. The main menaquinone was MK-9(H8) and the polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and one unknown glycolipid. On the basis of these phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain TRM 46515T should be designated as a representative of a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces litoralis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 46515T (=CCTCC AA 2015040T=KCTC 39729T).

Saccharomonospora xiaoerkulensis sp. nov., isolated from lake sediment.

A novel actinomycete, strain TRM 41495T, was isolated from lake sediment of Xiaoerkule lake in Xinjiang province, China, and was examined using a polyphasic approach. Strain TRM 41495T was aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, growing best on ISP medium 7 with abundant white aerial mycelium formed and brown soluble pigments produced. The optimum NaCl concentration for growth was 3.0 % (w/v), and the optimum temperature for growth was 37 °C. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain TRM 41495T was shown to belong to the genus Saccharomonospora with a sequence similarity of 97.50 % with the most closely related species, Saccharomonospora xinjiangensis. The organism had chemical and morphological features typical of the genus Saccharomonospora. The cell wall of strain TRM 41495T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, and galactose, arabinose, ribose and mannose were the major whole-cell sugars. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and an unknown phosphoglycolipid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H2). The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 0, C17 : 1ω6c, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 1H. The G+C content of the DNA was 72.9 mol%. However, DNA-DNA hybridization studies between strain TRM 41495T and Saccharomonospora xinjiangensis showed only 43.9 % relatedness. Whole-cell sugars, menaquinones and fatty acids differentiate strain TRM 41495T from Saccharomonospora xinjiangensis. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence, strain TRM 41495T represents a novel species of the genus Saccharomonospora, for which the name Saccharomonospora xiaoerkulensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 41495T (=CCTCC AA 2015038T=KCTC 39727T).

Nocardiopsis akesuensis sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a salt water beach.

The taxonomic position of a novel actinomycete, strain TRM 46250T, isolated from the sediment of a salt water beach at Baicheng, Xinjiang, China, was determined by a polyphasic approach. Strain TRM 46250T grew optimally in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl and an optimum temperature range for growth of 28-37 °C. The whole-cell sugars of strain TRM 46250T were ribose, xylose, mannose and galactose. The diagnostic diamino acid was meso-diaminopimelic acid. The polar lipids were phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethyl ethanolamine and six unidentified phospholipids. The predominant menaquinones were MK-10, MK-10(H6) and MK-10(H8). The major fatty acids were 10-methyl C18 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 0, iso-G C16 : 1 and C18 : 1ω9c. Based on morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics the isolate was determined to belong to the genus Nocardiopsis. The phylogenetic tree based on its nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence (1493 nt) with those of representative strains showed that the strain consistently falls into a distinct phyletic line together with Nocardiopsis gilva YIM 90087T (97.68 % similarity) and a subclade consisting of Nocardiopsis composta KS9T (97.52 %), Nocardiopsis rosea YIM 90094T (97.44 %) and Nocardiopsis rhodophaea YIM 90096T (97.16 %). However, DNA-DNA hybridization studies between strain TRM 46250T and N. gilva YIM 90087T showed only 36.94 % relatedness. On the basis of these data, strain TRM 46250T should be designated as a representative of a novel species of the genus Nocardiopsis, for which the name Nocardiopsis akesuensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 46250T (=CCTCC AA 2015027T=KCTC 39725T).

[Study on Flavonoids of Ophioglossum thermal].

Objective: To investigate the chemical components of Ophioglossum thermale,one of the original species of Chinese medicine "Yizhijian". Methods: The air-dried whole plant material of Ophioglossum thermale was extracted by thermal reflux with 95%Et OH,then separated and purified by joint utilization of various chromatography techniques including macroporous resin,silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and HPLC. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Results: Six flavonoids were isolated and identified as 3-O-methylquercetin( 1),ophioglonol( 2),3-O-methylquercetin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside( 3),3-O-methylquercetin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyraosyl-4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside( 4),kaempferol 3-O-( 6-O-caffeoyl)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-( 1 →2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside( 5) and quercetin 3-O-( 6-O-caffeoyl)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl( 1→2)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside( 6). Conclusion: Compounds 2 ~ 6 are isolated from this plant for the first time,compounds 5 and 6are firstly isolated from Ophioglossaceae family.

Paraglycomyces xinjiangensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a halophilic actinomycete.

A novel halophilic actinobacterium, designated strain TRM 49201T, was isolated from a hypersaline soil in Xinjiang Province, north-west China. The strain was aerobic, Gram-stain-positive and halophilic. The aerial mycelium was chaotic with irregular branches, and spherical sporangia containing several spherical spores developed at mycelial aggregations. The strain had an optimum NaCl concentration for growth of 8-13 % (w/v). The whole-cell sugar pattern of strain TRM 49201T consisted of xylose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6) and MK-10(H2). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and four unknown phospholipids. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 70 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain TRM 49201T can be distinguished from representatives of Glycomyces, Stackebrandtia and Haloglycomyces, the three existing genera in the family Glycomycetaceae, based on low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities ( < 94.42 %). Strain TRM 49201T is thus considered to represent a novel species of a new genus in the family Glycomycetaceae, for which the name Paraglycomyces xinjiangensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Paraglycomyces xinjiangensis is TRM 49201T ( = NRRL B-24926T = CCTCC AA 2013002T = KACC 17683T).

Four New Flavonoids with α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities from Morus alba var. tatarica.

Four new flavonoids, mortatarins A-D (1-4, resp.), along with eight known flavonoids (5-12) were isolated from the root bark of Morus alba var. tatarica. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, and the absolute configuration of 4 was determined by analysis of its CD spectrum. All isolates were tested for inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. Compounds 4, 7, and 8 exhibited a significant degree of inhibition with IC50 values of 5.0 ± 0.3, 7.5 ± 0.5, and 5.9 ± 0.2 µM, respectively.

Phenolic constituents from the aerial parts of Glycyrrhiza inflata and their antibacterial activities.

Chemical investigation on 90% ethanol extracts of the aerial parts of Glycyrrhiza inflata afforded two new phenolic constituents, 2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-3,5,4'-trihydroxy-bibenzyl (1) and (2S)-6-[(E)-3-hydroxymethyl-2-butenyl]-3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxy-dihydroflavanone (2) along with seven known dihydroflavanones (3-9). Compounds 1-9 were tested for their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Compound 1 showed moderate antibacterial activities against both S. aureus (MIC of 50.00 µg/ml) and S. epidermidis (MIC of 12.50 µg/ml). The analysis of structure-activity relationships revealed that the antibacterial activity of dihydroflavanones (2-9) was significantly affected by the position of prenyl group.

Streptomyces lopnurensis sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from soil.

A novel actinomycete, designated strain TRM 49590(T), was isolated from a soil sample from Lop Nur in Xinjiang Province, China. Strain TRM 49590(T) was aerobic, Gram-staining-positive, with an optimum NaCl concentration for growth of 1.5 % (w/v) and an optimum temperature for growth of 28-37 °C. The aerial mycelium was sparse, cylindrical and smooth-surfaced with irregular branches on ISP medium 4. The whole-cell sugars of strain TRM 49590(T) were ribose and glucose. The diagnostic diamino acid contained ll-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8), with MK-9(H4) and MK-10(H6) present in smaller amounts. The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.2 mol%. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TRM 49590(T) belongs to the genus Streptomyces with a sequence similarity of 97.16 % with the most closely related species Streptomyces sodiiphilus. Based on these observations, strain TRM 49590(T) is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces for which the name Streptomyces lopnurensis sp. nov. is suggested. The type strain is TRM 49590(T) ( = CCTCC AA 2013018(T) = NRRL B59109(T)).

Characterisation of homoflavonoids from three Ophioglossum species using liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry.

INTRODUCTION: Homoflavonoids, characterised by one more carbon atom directly added to C6 -C3 -C6 backbone of flavonoids, are rich in the species of genus Ophioglossum. Up to now we have little knowledge about their MS fragmentation patterns. It is therefore necessary to investigate their MS fragmentation pathways so as to distinguish them from other types of flavonoids. OBJECTIVE: To develop a rapid method for identifying homoflavonoids from Ophioglossum based on their characteristic MS fragmentation. METHODS: Mass spectrometry fragmentation pathways and qualitative analysis of homoflavonoids in three ferns of Ophioglosssum were investigated by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n) ). RESULTS: The analyses of the MS(n) spectra of the homoflavonoids allowed us to classify them into two types according to their fragmentation characteristics. The type I homoflavonoids, with an attached additional carbon atom to the C-3 position of the C-ring, presented the initial competing loss of H2 O and CH2 O from their aglycone ions, compared to the initial removal of H2 O or CO in the case of the type II homoflavonoids, which bear the additional carbon atom at the C-2' site of the B-ring and forming ring D. The above characteristic fragmentations of homoflavonoids were quite different from those of other flavonoids, and were successfully applied to identify homoflavonoids in the crude extracts of three Ophioglossum species. CONCLUSION: The HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n) method obtained in the present study provided a powerful tool for identifying homoflavonoids from ferns in the genus Ophioglossum.