Phylogenetic evidence for the classification of Acidothermus cellulolyticus into the subphylum of actinomycetes

Abstract

The primary structure of the 16S rDNA of Acidothermus cellulolyticus, a cellulolytic, asporogenous rod isolated from a hot spring, was determined by automated sequence analysis. This Gram-variable organism is not related to members of other aerobic thermophilic genera found in similar environments, such as Thermus and Thermomicrobium, but clusters within the phylogenetically defined radiation of the actinomycetes where it represents an individual subline of descent.