Three novel species of the genus Catellatospora, Catellatospora chokoriensis sp nov, Catellatospora coxensis sp nov and Catellatospora bangladeshensis sp nov, and transfer of Catellatospora citrea subsp methionotrophica Asano and Kawamoto 1988 to Catellatospora methionotrophica sp nov, comb nov

Three Gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile, mesophilic strains, designated 2-25(1)(T), 2-29(17)(T) and 2-70(23)(T), were isolated from sandy soil from Chokoria, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The organisms produce short chains of non-motile spores that emerge singly or in tufts from vegetative hyphae on the surface of agar media. A comparative phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolates formed a distinct clade within the evolutionary radiation of the family Micromonosporaceae and clustered with members of the genus Catellatospora. The nearest neighbours were Catellatospora citrea subsp. citrea and C. citrea subsp. methionotrophica. Chemotaxonomic data, such as the presence of meso- and 3-hydroxy-diaminopimelic acids, N-glycolyl type muramic acid, arabinose and xylose and glucose in whole-cell hydrolysates, phosphatidylethanolamine as a diagnostic phospholipid, a tetrahydrogenated menaquinone with 9 isoprene units as a major menaquinone and fatty acid profiles predominated by iso-branched hexadecanoic acid and iso-branched pentadecanoic acid, supported the affiliation of the novel isolates to the genus Catellatospora. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization and physiological and biochemical tests allowed the novel isolates to be differentiated genotypically and phenotypically from the three recognized Catellatospora species. The three isolates therefore represent novel species for which the names Catellatospora chokoriensis sp. nov. [type strain 2-25(1)(T)=JCM 12950(T) = DSM 44900(T)], Catellatospora coxensis sp. nov. [type strain 2-29(17)(T)=JCM 12951(T) = DSM 44901(T)] and Catellatospora bangladeshensis sp. nov. [type strain 2-70(23)(T) JCM 12949(T) = DSM 44899(T)], are proposed. DNA-DNA hybridization tests with C. citrea subsp. citrea and C. citrea subsp. methionotrophica, in combination with chemotaxonomic and physiological data, demonstrated that C. citrea subsp. methionotrophica should be elevated to a separate species for which the name Catellatospora methionotrophica sp. nov., comb. nov. is proposed (type strain JCM 7543(T) = DSM 44098(T)).