Agromyces salentinus sp. nov. and Agromyces neolithicus sp. nov

1 Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, CSIC, Apartado 1052, 41080 Sevilla, Spain 2 Hans-Knöll-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung eV, D-07745 Jena, Germany Correspondence Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez saiz{at}irnase.csic.es A polyphasic study was carried out to clarify the taxonomic position of two Gram-positive bacteria isolated from soil samples of the Grotta dei Cervi (Italy), a relatively unexplored hypogean environment. The strains, 20-5 T and 23-23 T , showed phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics that were consistent with their classification in the genus Agromyces . 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that the two strains formed distinct phyletic lines within the genus Agromyces . Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, chemotaxonomic data and the results of DNA–DNA relatedness studies, it is proposed that the two isolates represent two novel species of the genus Agromyces . Pronounced differences in a broad range of phenotypic characteristics and DNA G+C content distinguished the two strains from each other and from previously described species of the genus Agromyces . Two novel species are proposed: Agromyces salentinus sp. nov. (type strain, 20-5 T =HKI 0320 T =DSM 16198 T =NCIMB 13990 T ) and Agromyces neolithicus sp. nov. (type strain, 23-23 T =HKI 0321 T =DSM 16197 T =NCIMB 13989 T ). Published online ahead of print on 22 October 2004 as DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63199-0. The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains 20-5 T and 23-23 T are AY507129 and AY507128 , respectively.