Actinomadura

Abstract

Ac.ti.no.ma.du'ra. Gr. n. actis actinos a ray; N.L. n. Madura Madura, name of a province in India; N.L. fem. n. Actinomadura referring to a micro‐organism first described as the causative agent of “Madura foot” disease. Actinobacteria / Actinobacteria / Streptosporangiales / Thermomonosporaceae / Actinomadura Gram‐stain‐positive, non‐acid–alcohol‐fast, nonmotile actinomycetes that form an extensively branched non‐fragmenting, substrate mycelium. Aerial mycelium moderately developed or absent . When present, aerial hyphae carry up to 50 arthrospores. Aerial mycelium at maturity forms short or occasionally long chains of arthrospores. Spore chains straight, hooked (open loops), or irregular spirals (1–4 turns) . Spore surface folded, irregular, rugose, smooth, spiny, or warty . Color of mature sporulated aerial mycelium: blue, brown, cream, gray, green, pink, red, white, or yellow. Colonies have a leathery or cartilaginous appearance when aerial mycelium is lacking. Aerobic, chemo‐organotrophic with an oxidative type metabolism. Temperature growth range 10–60°C. Cell wall contains meso ‐2 , 6‐diaminopimelic acid as the major diamino acid and N ‐acetylated muramic acid . Whole‐cell hydrolysates contain galactose, glucose, madurose, mannose, and ribose. The major phospholipids are diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. Menaquinones are predominantly hexahydrogenated with nine isoprene units saturated at sites II, III, and VIII . Complex fatty acid profile is rich in branched saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, including tuberculostearic acid. Mycolic acids are absent. Widely distributed in soil. Some strains are pathogenic for animals, including man. DNA G + C content ( mol %): 66–73 ( T m , HPLC). Type species : Actinomadura madurae (Vincent 1894) Lechevalier and Lechevalier 1970a, 400 AL .