Identification of some industrially importantActinoplanes species

Summary Three actinomycetes designated A294, A385 and A448 all produced novel inhibitors of an enzyme involved in the regulation of mammalian cholesterol metabolism. The organisms were identified as members of the genusActinoplanes using morphological and chemotaxonomic characters. Numerical phenetic data obtained for clusters defined at the 77.5% S_sm similarity level in the taxonomic study ofActinoplanes and related taxe by Goodfellow et al. 6], was used to construct a probabilistic identification matrix for the genusActinoplanes. This was in an attempt to characterise the producing strains to species level. Identification scores for the three organisms, together with two type strains, were determined using the MATIDEN program of Sneath 36]. Strains A294 and A385 did not identify correctly with any cluster. Strain A448 was identified asActinoplanes derwentensis. The two type strains identified within acceptable statistical limits to their correct clusters. Due to the absence of other taxonomic criteria with which to speciate members of the genusActinoplanes we recommend that the two unidentified producing strains should be considered novel until such time as surther techniques become available.