Differential Tolerance of Streptomycetes to Sodium Chloride as a Taxonomic Aid

Abstract

A survey was made of the NaCl tolerance of approximately 1,300 Streptomyces strains belonging to 313 species. The growth medium of the organisms was supplemented with a graded series of NaCl concentrations (4, 7, 10, and 13%). Only 1.8% of the species could not tolerate 4% NaCl; 26.9% could grow at a maximum of 4%; 49.7% could tolerate a maximum of 7%; 18.8% could grow at a maximum of 10%; and only 2.8% could tolerate 13% NaCl. In evaluating the relationships of NaCl tolerance to various taxonomic features, higher tolerance was statistically associated with the "yellow" and possibly the "white"-spored streptomycetes, whereas the "red"-spored series tended to have lesser tolerance. Higher tolerance was also indicated for spiny-spored species, as a group, than for smooth-spored forms. Likewise, nonproducers of melanin, collectively, were more NaCl tolerant than melanin-producing species. Uniformity of test responses between strains of species studied suggested the usefulness of NaCl tolerance as a taxonomic criterion.

Distribution of actinomycetes in near-shore tropical marine sediments

“…Goodfellow and Haynes (4) support this proposition by showing that actinomycetes isolated from North Atlantic sediments, including streptomycetes, and Micromonospora and Rhodococcus species show no specific seawater requirements, growing equally well on media prepared with either distilled water or seawater. In addition, because actinomycetes are common soil bacteria, produce resistant spores, and are known to be salt tolerant (9,12,13,18), it is likely that they are washed in large numbers from shore into the sea, where some portions remain viable. This concept is supported by the observations that actinomycetes are less common in marine sediments CDCD CO (CDO N 0 0 a a)0o-_ CU ID eC Xr lt qw w qw qt tIV qw qw qw qw q t e qi q t w…”

“…In addition, the descriptions of Rhodococcus marinonascens (8), along with other marine species (6), show that certain actinomycetes are indigenous to the marine environment. However, because actinomycetes are more abundant in terrestrial soils relative to marine sediments (5), show varying degrees of salt tolerance (9,12,13,18), and produce spores that are undoubtedly washed in large numbers from shore into the sea, it remains unclear what component of the actinomycetes isolated from marine sources represents an autochthonous marine microflora (4,6,13).…”

Streptomyces lasalocidi sp. nov. (formerly ‘Streptomyces lasaliensis’), an actinomycete isolated from soil which produces the polyether antibiotic lasalocid

“…The sensitivities of the three strains to sodium chloride (1, 3, 7, 10 and 13 %), phenol (0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 %), and sodium azide (0.01 %) were tested according to Slama et al [22] and Tresner et al [25].…”

Antifungal activity of some actinomycetes isolated from Riyadh soil, Saudi Arabia: An evaluation for their ability to control Alternaria caused tomato blight in green house pot trial)

“…The ability of the isolates to produce different enzymes was examined by using standard methods (Holding and Collee, 1971). Tolerance of the strains to NaCl concentration was also evaluated (Tresner et al, 1968). The actinomycete strains were tested for their ability to produce H2S, indole and melanin pigments (Holding and Collee, 1971).…”