Taxonomic revision of Streptomyces limosus ISP 5131 and Streptomyces levoris ISP 5202 and reinstatement of the species name Streptomyces levoris (ex Korenyako et al. 1960) nom. rev.

摘要

The taxonomic identity of S. limosus ISP 5131 and S. levoris ISP 5202 was established, which allowed the supposition to be made that their antibiotic complexes should be identical and include limocrocin, levorin, and levoristatin (= antimycin A). This supposition was helpful in revealing the ability of S. limosus to synthesize levorin and levoristatin and the capacity of S. levoris to produce limocrocin. These findings confirm the concept that the ability to synthesize a particular antibiotic complex is a species-specific characteristic. It is argued that the priority principle should be deviated from and the name S. levoris should be retained, since this name belongs to a producer of the industrial antibiotic levorin and often occurs in scientific literature, normative documents (regulations, pharmacopoeia), handbooks, patents, etc., whereas the 50-year-old name S. limosus rarely occurs in the literature, and its substitution for the name S. levoris may lead to confusion. This decision creates a precedent for the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology to impose a corresponding restriction on the priority principle in order to have an opportunity to retain an old name in its habitual sense, as is provided for in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. It is suggested that the name S, limosus ISP 5131 should be considered an older synonym. An emended description of the species Streptomyces levoris is presented. [References: 20]