RESUMO
Two novel strains, YIM 133132T and YIM 133296, were isolated from lichen samples collected from Yunnan Province, Southwest PR China. YIM 133132T and YIM 133296 are aerobic, Gram-staining-positive, non-motile actinomycetes. They are also catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, and YIM 133132T formed flat yellowish colonies that were relatively dry on YIM38 agar medium. Flat yellowish colonies of YIM 133296 were also observed on YIM38 agar medium. YIM 133132T grew at 25-35 °C (optimum 25-30 °C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-8% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strains YIM 133132T and YIM 133296 represented members of the genus Luteipulveratus and exhibited high sequence similarity (96.93%) with Luteipulveratus halotolerans C296001T. The genomic DNA G+C content of both strains was 71.8%. The DNA-DNA hybridisation (dDDH) values between YIM 133132T and YIM 133296 were 85.1%, and the DNA-DNA hybridisation value between YIM 133132T and YIM 133296 and L. halotolerans C296001T was 23.4%. On the basis of the draft genome sequences, the average nucleotide identity (ANI) between strains YIM 133132T and YIM 133296 and L. halotolerans C296001T was 80.8%. The major menaquinones that were identified were MK-8(H4), MK-9 and MK-8(H2). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. On the basis of the morphological, physiological, biochemical, genomic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strains YIM 133132T and YIM 133296 can be clearly distinguished from L. halotolerans C296001T, and the two strains represent a novel species for which the name L. flavus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 133132T (CGMCC= 1.61357T and KCTC= 49824T).