Streptomyces odontotermitis Odt1-20BT, an actinobacterium isolated from the fungus-growing Odontotermes formosanus

Supong, Khomsan; Niemhom, Nantawan; Suriyachadkun, Chanwit; Tanasupawat, Somboon; Pittayakhajonwut, Pattama

doi:10.1038/s41429-026-00932-0

Streptomyces odontotermitis Odt1-20BT, an actinobacterium isolated from the fungus-growing Odontotermes formosanus

Author(s)

Supong, Khomsan

Niemhom, Nantawan

Suriyachadkun, Chanwit

Tanasupawat, Somboon

Pittayakhajonwut, Pattama

Date Issued

August 1, 2026

Type

Article

DOI

10.1038/s41429-026-00932-0

Abstract

A novel culturable insect-derived actinobacterium, designated strain Odt1-20B^T, was isolated from Odontotermes formosanus. The cells exhibited aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, and filamentous characteristics. Strain Odt1-20B^T formed well-developed substrate and aerial mycelia, with straight spore chains borne on the aerial mycelium. Strain Odt1-20B^T grew at 20–40 °C (optimum 30 °C), 0˗4% (w/v) NaCl, and pH 5˗10 (optimum 7−8). The l,l-diaminopimelic acid was determined in the whole-cell hydrolysate of strain Odt1-20B^T. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine, whereas the detected major quinones were MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6), and MK-9(H8). Whole-cell sugars were galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, and xylose. Summed feature C18:1 ω6c/ω7c, C16:0, anteiso-C15:0, and iso-C16:0 were the main fatty acids. The draft genome size was 10,091,787 nucleotides, with a G + C content of 71.5%. Comparative phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence demonstrated that strain Odt1-20B^T belonged to the genus Streptomyces, and shared the highest similarity with S. davaonensis JCM 4913 ^T (98.55%). Furthermore, phylogenomic analysis showed that strain Odt1-20B^T was clearly distinguished from the closely related Streptomyces species. The average nucleotide identity analyses based on BLAST (ANIb) and MUMmer (ANIm) between strain Odt1-20B^T and its related species ranged below 87%, and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values ranged from 21.2% to 29.9%, all of which are below the species delimitation thresholds. The results of polyphasic taxonomy clearly indicated that strain Odt1-20B^T represents a novel species, proposed as Streptomyces odontotermitis sp. nov. with the type strain Odt1-20B^T (= NBRC 116112 ^T = TBRC 16156 ^T).

Citation

Journal of Antibiotics, 79(8), 525-532, 2026