Bioprospection of cold-adapted yeasts with biotechnological potential from Antarctica

MARTORELL MM; RUBERTO L; FERNANDEZ P; FIGUEROA L; MAC CORMACK W.P

JOURNAL OF BASIC MICROBIOLOGY

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

Lugar: Weinheim; Año: 2017 vol. 57 p. 504 - 516

0233-111X

ORRECTED PROOFThe aim of this study was to investigate the ability to produce extracellular hydrolyticenzymes at low temperature of yeasts isolated from 25 de Mayo island, Antarctica,and to identify those exhibiting one or more of the evaluated enzymatic activities. Atotal of 105 yeast isolates were obtained from different samples and 66 wereidentified. They belonged to 12 basidiomycetous and four ascomycetous genera.Most of the isolates were ascribed to the genera Cryptococcus, Mrakia,Cystobasidium, Rhodotorula, Gueomyces, Phenoliferia, Leucosporidium, andPichia. Results from enzymes production at low temperatures revealed that theAntarctic environment contains metabolically diverse cultivable yeasts, whichrepresent potential tools for biotechnological applications. While most the isolatesproved to produce 2-4 of the investigated exoenzymes, two of them evidenced the sixevaluated enzymatic activities: Pichia caribbica and Guehomyces pullulans, whichwere characterized as psycrotolerant and psycrophilic, respectively. In addition,P. caribbica could assimilate several n-alkanes and diesel fuel. The enzymeproduction profile and hydrocarbons assimilation capacity, combined with its highlevel of biomass production and the extended exponential growth phase make P.caribbica a promising tool for cold environments biotechnological purposes in thefield of cold-enzymes production and oil spills bioremediation as well.