Nocardiopsis salina sp. nov., a novel halophilic actinomycete isolated from saline soil in China.

A moderately halophilic actinomycete strain, designated YIM 90010T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a hypersaline habitat in Xinjiang Province, China, and then investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strain produced abundant aerial mycelia and fragmented substrate mycelia on most media tested; the optimum NaCl concentration for growth was 10 % (w/v) and the optimum growth temperature and pH were 28 °C and 7·2, respectively. Chemotaxonomically and phylogenetically, the strain was related to members of the genus Nocardiopsis. The isolate contained chemotaxonomic markers that were diagnostic for the genus Nocardiopsis, i.e. meso-diaminopimelic acid, no diagnostic sugars, and MK-10(H6), MK-10(H8) and MK-12 as the predominant menaquinones. The major fatty acids were iso- and anteiso-branched acids combined with tuberculostearic acid (Me C18 : 0), straight-chain saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. The G+C content was 73·1 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that strain YIM 90010T was a member of the genus Nocardiopsis and most closely related to Nocardiopsis kunsanensis (97·6 % similarity) and Nocardiopsis xinjiangensis (98·1 % similarity). It can be differentiated from these species by using phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and DNA–DNA hybridization results. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence, a novel species, Nocardiopsis salina sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of the species is YIM 90010T (=KCTC 19003T=CCTCC AA 204009T).