Characterization of Nocardia nova

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Nocardia nova strains were clearly distinguished from Nocardia asteroides, Nocardia farcinica, and other Nocardia species by numerical classification in which 107 characters were used. N. nova was differentiated from N. asteroides sensu stricto by the following characteristics: presence of 2-week arylsulfatase, .alpha.-esterase, and .beta.-esterase activities; absence of the ability to utilize citrate as a sole carbon source; and presence of the ability to utilize iso-butanol as a solecarbon source. The type strain (strain ATCC 33726) exhibited 39% relatedness to N. asteroides type strain ATCC 19247 and 20% relatedness to N. farcinica type strain ATCC 3318 in a DNA relatedness analysis. The .alpha.-mycolic acids of N. nova contained 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, and 62 carbon atoms and one to four double bonds. The numbers of carbon atoms in the .alpha.-unit were 16:0 or 18:1; these numbers in the .alpha.-unit were characteristic because the .alpha.-unit possessed an unsaturated alkyl unit (18:1). Thus, the mycolic acids of N. nova were clearly differentiated from those of N. asteroides and N. farcinica.