A novel endophytic actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-TX2-2T, was isolated from moss and
characterized using a polyphasic approach. The isolate was found to have morphological
characteristics typical of the genus Microbispora. The isolate formed longitudinally paired spores
on the tips of short sporophores that branched from aerial hyphae. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene
sequence supported the assignment of the novel strain to the genus Microbispora, and strain
NEAU-TX2-2T exhibited 99.08 and 98.62% gene sequence similarities to Microbispora
amethystogenes JCM 3021T and Microbispora rosea subsp. rosea JCM 3006T, respectively.
However two tree-making algorithms supported the position that strain NEAU-TX2-2T formed a
distinct clade with M. rosea subsp. rosea JCM 3006T. A low level of DNA–DNA relatedness
allowed the isolate to be differentiated from M. amethystogenes JCM 3021T and M. rosea subsp.
rosea JCM 3006T. Moreover, strain NEAU-TX2-2T could also be distinguished from its closest
phylogenetic relatives by morphological and physiological characteristics. Therefore, it is
proposed that strain NEAU-TX2-2T represents a novel species of the genus Microbispora for
which the name Microbispora bryophytorum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-TX2-
2T (5CGMCC 4.7138T5DSM 46710T).