POLYACRYLAMIDE-GEL ELECTROPHORESIS ANALYSIS OF MYCOLATELESS WALL CHEMOTYPE-IV ACTINOMYCETES

We analyzed ribosomal AT-L30 proteins from 11 type strains of wall chemotype IV actinomycete species which lack mycolic acids. The electrophoretic mobilities of the AT-L30 preparations from these strains, as determined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, revealed that the genera Actinopolyspora, Amycolatopsis, Amycolata, Pseudonocardia, Saccharopolyspora, and Saccharomonospora can be separated from each other on the basis of the relative electrophoretic mobilities of their AT-L30 proteins. Overlapping relative electrophoretic mobilities were observed only for the genera Amycolata and Pseudonocardia. The electrophoretic mobility of protein AT-L30 from Actinopolyspora mortivallis was similar to the electrophoretic mobility of Actinopolyspora halophila protein AT-L30 but not to the electrophoretic mobilities of the AT-L30 proteins of the reference genera. Our results confirm the taxonomic status of A. mortivallis as a species of the genus Actinopolyspora and illustrate the efficacy of ribosomal protein analysis in actinomycete taxonomy.