title: Nocardia endophytica sp. nov., an endophytic actinomycete isolated from the oil-seed plant Jatropha curcas L.
abstract: A novel actinomycete, designated strain KLBMP 1256(T), was isolated from a surface-sterilized stem of the oil-seed plant Jatropha curcas L. collected from Sichuan Province, south-west China, and was characterized to determine its taxonomic position. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate was closely related to members of the genus Nocardia in the family Nocardiaceae, being most closely related to Nocardia callitridis CAP 290(T) (98.4 % similarity) and Nocardia nova JCM 6044(T) (97.5 %). Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain KLBMP 1256(T) and the type strains of other recognized species of the genus Nocardia were less than 97 %. Chemotaxonomic data supported the affiliation of the new isolate to the genus Nocardia. However, the novel strain could be distinguished from its closest phylogenetic neighbour, N. callitridis CAP 290(T), by a range of phenotypic properties. The combination of low DNA-DNA relatedness values and phenotypic differences from N. callitridis CAP 290(T) indicated that strain KLBMP 1256(T) represents a novel species of the genus Nocardia, for which the name Nocardia endophytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KLBMP 1256(T) ( = KCTC 19777(T)  = CCTCC AA 2010004(T)).
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, PR China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, PR China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610081, PR China.
authors.forename: Shi-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610081, PR China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, PR China.
authors.forename: Guang-Kai
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, PR China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Microbiology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830091, PR China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, PR China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education and Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, PR China.
authors.forename: Shu-Kun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, PR China.
authors.forename: Ji-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education and Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D031286:Jatropha / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009615:Nocardia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S