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Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences of the genus Streptomyces showed the presence of six distinguishable clusters, with 100 % sequence similarity values among strains in each cluster; thus they shared almost the same evolutionary distance. This result corroborated well with the outcome of core gene (orthologous gene clusters) based genome phylogeny analysis of 190 genomes including the Streptomyces species in those six clusters. These preeminent results led to an investigation of genome-based indices such as digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH), average nucleotide identity (ANI) and average amino acid identity (AAI) for the strains in those six clusters. Certain strains recorded genomic indices well above the threshold values (70 %, 95–96 % and >95 % for dDDH, ANI and AAI, respectively) determined for species affiliation, suggesting only one type strain belongs to described species and the other(s) may need to be reduced in taxa to a later heterotypic synonym. To conclude, the results of comprehensive analyses based on phylogenetic and genomic indices suggest that the following six reclassifications are proposed: Streptomyces flavovariabilis as a later heterotypic synonym of Streptomyces variegatus ; Streptomyces griseofuscus as a later heterotypic synonym of Streptomyces murinus ; Streptomyces kasugaensis as a later heterotypic synonym of Streptomyces celluloflavus ; Streptomyces luridiscabiei as a later heterotypic synonym of Streptomyces fulvissimus ; Streptomyces pharetrae as a later heterotypic synonym of Streptomyces glaucescens ; and Streptomyces stelliscabiei as a later heterotypic synonym of Streptomyces bottropensis .

Damping-off caused by Pythium aphanidermatum (Pa) is one of the most destructive diseases for watermelon seedlings. Application of biological control agents against Pa has attracted the attention of many researchers for a long time. In this study, the actinomycetous isolate JKTJ-3 with strong and broad-spectrum antifungal activity was screened from 23 bacterial isolates. Based on the morphological, cultural, physiological, and biochemical characteristics as well as the feature of 16S rDNA sequence, isolate JKTJ-3 was identified as Streptomyces murinus. We investigated the biocontrol efficacy of isolate JKTJ-3 and its metabolites. The results revealed that seed and substrate treatments with JKTJ-3 cultures showed a significant inhibitory effect on watermelon damping-off disease. Seed treatment with the JKTJ-3 cultural filtrates (CF) displayed higher control efficacy compared to the fermentation cultures (FC). Treatment of the seeding substrate with the wheat grain cultures (WGC) of JKTJ-3 exhibited better control efficacy than that of the seeding substrate with the JKTJ-3 CF. Moreover, the JKTJ-3 WGC showed the preventive effect on suppression of the disease, and the efficacy increased with increase in the inoculation interval between the WGC and Pa. Production of the antifungal metabolite actinomycin D by isolate JKTJ-3 and cell-wall-degrading enzymes such as β-1,3-glucanase and chitosanase were probably the mechanisms for effective control of watermelon damping-off. It was shown for the first time that S. murinus can produce anti-oomycete substances including chitinase and actinomycin D. This is the first report about S. murinus used as biocontrol agent against watermelon damping-off caused by Pa.

This study aimed to clarify the taxonomic relationships among Streptomyces costaricanus , Streptomyces graminearus, Streptomyces murinus and Streptomyces phaeogriseichromatogenes . These strains share the same 16S rRNA gene sequence. Multilocus sequence analysis revealed that S. costaricanus , S. murinus and S. phaeogriseichromatogenes belong to the same species, but S. graminearus does not. Digital DNA–DNA relatedness and average nucleotide identity among S. costaricanus, S. murinus and S. phaeogriseichromatogenes were 70.9–74.6% and 96.5–97.0 %, respectively. In addition to the previously reported phenotypic data, the presence of a similar set of secondary metabolite-biosynthetic gene clusters for polyketides and nonribosomal peptides supported the similarity among the three species. Therefore, S. costaricanus and S. phaeogriseichromatogenes should be reclassified as later heterotypic synonyms of S. murinus .

The structure of cell wall teichoic acids was studied by chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy in the type strains of two actinomycete species of the “Streptomyces griseoviridis” phenetic cluster: streptomyces daghestanicus and streptomyces murinus. S. daghestanicus VKM Ac-1722t contained two polymers having a 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate) structure. In one of them, the ribitol units had α-rhamnopyranose and 3-O-methyl-α-rhamnopyranose substituents; in the other, each ribitol unit was carrying 2,4-ketal-bound pyruvic acid. Such polymers were earlier found in the cell walls of Streptomyces roseolus and Nocardiopsis albus, respectively; however, their simultaneous presence in the cell wall has never been reported. The cell wall teichoic acid of Streptomyces murinus INA-00524T was a 1,5-poly(glucosylpolyol phosphate), whose repeating unit was [-6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-glycerol phosphate-(3-P-]. Such a teichoic acid was earlier found in Spirilliplanes yamanashiensis. The 13C NMR spectrum of this polymer is presented for the first time. The results of the present investigation, together with earlier published data, show that the type strains of four species of the “Streptomyces griseoviridis” phenetic cluster differ in the composition and structure of their teichoic acids; thus, teichoic acids may serve as chemotaxonomic markers of the species.

As a continuation of an ongoing study of DNA relatedness among red-spored streptomycetes, the homology between the four species comprising the Streptomyces fulvissimus phenotypic cluster (S. fulvissimus, Streptomyces aureoverticillatus, Streptomyces longispororuber and Streptomyces spectabilis) and the four species comprising the Streptomyces griseoviridis phenotypic cluster (S. griseoviridis, Streptomyces chryseus, Streptomyces daghestonicus and Streptomyces murinus) was measured spectrophotometrically from C0t05 determinations. All strains were also compared to 12 strains representing previously determined DNA-relatedness clusters in the Streptomyces lavendulae phenotypic cluster, including the type strain NRRL B-1230T. The strains segregated into 15 cluster groups at DNA relatedness >80%, including 10 single-membered clusters. S. griseoviridis and S. daghestonicus were synonymous, as were S. chryseus and S. longispororuber. S. spectabilis exhibited species-level homology with strain NRRL B-2402, which had been received as S. lavendulae. S. aureoverticillatus exhibited significant DNA relatedness to Streptomyces flavotricini. None of the strains from the S. fulvissimus or S. griseoviridis clusters exhibited significant homology to the type strain of S. lavendulae.