Molecular retrieval of large 16S rRNA gene fragments from an Italian rice paddy soil affiliated with the class Actinobacteria.

We designed a PCR assay specific for the 16S rRNA genes of members of the class Actinobacteria, and created a clone library using the amplification product of total community DNA extracted from anoxic Italian rice field soil. Eighteen out of 27 randomly sequenced clones were affiliated with Actinobacteria, i.e. Frankineae, Corynebacterineae, Micrococcineae, the bacterium candidatus "Microthrix parvicella" and a novel taxonomically undefined cluster.