Selective isolation ofActinobisporaon gellan gum plates

Abstract
An effective method is described for selectively isolating the actinomycete genus Actinobispora. Gellan gum plus calcium chloride significantly stimulated aerial mycelium formation of Actinobispora yunnanensis IFO 15681 so that this genus was readily recognized on the isolation plate. A new medium, HVG, containing calcium chloride and gellan gum as a solidifying agent was thus developed based on humic acid - vitamin agar. A number of Actinobispora strains were successfully isolated on this medium from 14 soil samples, which were collected in Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To our knowledge, this is the first isolation of Actinobispora strains from locations other than China.Key words: Actinobispora, gellan gum, selective isolation, actinomycete.