Abstract
Abstract
Two cis-1,4-polyisoprene (isoprene rubber) degrading bacteria, strains VH2 and Y2K, were identified as strains of the species Gordonia polyisoprenivorans belonging to the Corynebacterineae, a suborder of the order Actinomycetales. Both showed characteristic growth and degradation of isoprene rubber as described previously for the type strain of G. polyisoprenivorans Kd2 (DSM 44302T). For strain VH2 the chemotaxonomic properties were investigated, and DNA–DNA hybridization experiments with the type strain revealed the affiliation to the species G. polyisoprenivorans. The comparison of the 16S rDNA sequences, and especially hyper variable regions of these, led to the classification of strain Y2K to the same species. At present, the species G. polyisoprenivorans comprises three different isolates which share the ability to degrade isoprene rubber potently but which were obtained from different geographic regions.