Advances in Actinobacterial Systematic Taxonomy in Genomic Era

Abstract:

Abstract: Actinobacteria is one of the best studied taxa of prokaryotes due to its great importance in biotechnology, medical science, ecology and etc.. Modern actinobacterial taxonomy is polyphasic taxonomy, which is based on the phylogenetic analysis of sequences of 16S rRNA genes and other conservative molecular sequences, and employs a variety of microbial information for polyphasic systematic study. Currently, with the development of large-scale sequencing, over 100 actinobacterial genomes have been finished. A comprehensive, detailed and robust phylogeny of actinobacteria is thus needed for understanding how this group emerged and maintained such a vast diversity throughout evolution and how every subgroup related to each other from various habitats. “Phylogenomics” and “Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea, GEBA project” indicated that actinobacterial taxonomy stepped into the era of genomics. This review summarizes the actinobacterial taxonomic methodology of the genomic era, and results from recent studies.