Amycolatopsis rifamycinica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Actinomycetota |
Class: | Actinomycetia |
Order: | Pseudonocardiales |
Family: | Pseudonocardiaceae |
Genus: | Amycolatopsis |
Species: | A. rifamycinica
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Binomial name | |
Amycolatopsis rifamycinica Bala et al. 2004[1]
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Type strain | |
ATCC 27643 DSM 46095 JCM 12674 NT 19 |
Amycolatopsis rifamycinica is a species of Gram-positive bacteria in the genus Amycolatopsis. It produces the rifamycin antibiotics (e.g., rifamycin SV), which are used to treat mycobacterial diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy.[2] The type strain of Amycolatopsis rifamycinica (DSM 46095) has been reclassified several times. When it was first isolated from a French soil sample in 1957, it was identified as Streptomyces mediterranei.[3] In 1969, the species was renamed Nocardia mediterranei because its cell wall was thought to resemble that of Nocardia species.[4] The species was renamed Amycolatopsis mediterranei in 1986 after finding that it is not susceptible to Nocardia phage and has a cell wall that lacks mycolic acid.[5] Finally, in 2004, it was determined that strain DSM 46095 represented a new species, independent of Amycolatopsis mediterranei, based on 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing.[1] The new species was named Amycolatopsis rifamycinica.