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Streptomyces lemnae sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from Lemna aequinoctialis

The Journal of Antibiotics volume 79, pages 316–324 (2026)Cite this article

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Abstract

A novel Streptomyces species, designated strain DW26H14T, was isolated from duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis) and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain DW26H14T belonged to the genus Streptomyces and showed the highest similarity to Streptomyces tremellae Js-1T (98.8%) and Streptomyces fuscigenes JBL-20T (98.1%). The average nucleotide identity via BLAST (ANIb) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain DW26H14T and these closely related type strains ranged from 84.15–84.60% and 29.8–31.5% respectively, which were below the established thresholds for prokaryotic species delineation. Strain DW26H14T has a genome size of 8,003,460 bp with DNA G + C content of 72.18%. Chemotaxonomic analysis revealed that strain DW26H14T contained glucose, mannose, rhamnose, and ribose in its whole-cell hydrolysates. The major cellular fatty acids (>10%) were C16:0 and summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c/C18:1 ω6c). The polar lipid pattern consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, hydroxyphosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositolmannosides, an unidentified aminolipid, and five unidentified phospholipids. The major menaquinones were MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H6). Based on the results of a polyphasic taxonomic analysis, strain DW26H14T represents a novel species within the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces lemnae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DW26H14T (=TBRC 17042T = NBRC 116115T).

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University. We acknowledge support from Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS), JICA. We would like to thank Yuparat Saimee for isolation of strain DW26H14T and Professor (Emeritus) Aharon Oren for his kind advice on the nomenclature of the species. The GenBank accession numbers for the 16S rRNA gene sequence and draft genome sequence of strain DW26H14T are PV744448 and JBQWLO000000000, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Peeraya Boonchu, Waranya Butdee, Chadarat Na Phatthalung, Chanita Boonmak & Kannika Duangmal

  2. Biodiversity Center Kasetsart University (BDCKU), Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Chanita Boonmak & Kannika Duangmal

  3. Duckweed Holobiont Resource and Research Center (DHbRC), Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Chanita Boonmak & Kannika Duangmal

  4. Thailand Bioresource Research Center (TBRC), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand

    Chanwit Suriyachadkun

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Contributions

PB: conceptualization, performed the experiment, formal analysis, writing-original draft; CS, WB and CNP: performed partial experiment and formal analysis; CB: revised the manuscript; KD: conceptualization, writing-review and editing, supervision, project administration. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kannika Duangmal.

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Boonchu, P., Butdee, W., Na Phatthalung, C. et al. Streptomyces lemnae sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from Lemna aequinoctialis. J Antibiot 79, 316–324 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41429-026-00905-3

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