Lentzea chajnantorensis sp nov., an actinobacterium from a very high altitude Cerro Chajnantor gravel soil in northern Chile

The taxonomic position of a filamentous actinobacterial strain, isolate H45(T), recovered from a high altitude Atacama Desert gravel soil, was established using a polyphasic approach. The strain, which is known to produce novel dienes, has chemotaxonomic and morphological properties typical of the genus Lentzea and formed a distinct branch in the Lentzea 16S rRNA gene tree that is closely related to the type strain of Lentzea kentuckyensis. The two strains were distinguished using a combination of phenotypic properties and by a DNA:DNA relatedness value of 37.6 +/- 4.0%. On the basis of these genotypic and phenotypic data it is proposed that isolate H45(T) (=NCIMB 4966(T) = NRRL B-65282(T)) be classified in the genus Lentzea as Lentzea chajnantorensis sp. nov.