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 Nocardiaphage 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 RNAsequencing.[1] The new species was named Amycolatopsis rifamycinica.
^Margalith P, Beretta G (1960). "Rifomycin. XI. Taxonomic study on Streptomyces mediterranei nov. sp". Mycopathol. Mycol. Appl. 8 (4): 321–330. doi:10.1007/BF02089930.
^Thiemann JE, Zucco G, Pelizza G (1969). "A proposal for the transfer of Streptomyces mediterranei Margalith and Beretta 1960 to the genus Nocardia as Nocardia mediterranea (Margalith and Beretta) comb. nov". Arch. Mikrobiol. 67 (2): 147–155. doi:10.1007/bf00409680. PMID5386179.