GENOMIC INSIGHTS OF AN ANDEAN MULTI-RESISTANT SOIL ACTINOBACTERIUM OF BIOTECHNOLOGICAL INTEREST

ALONSO REYES D.; GALVAN F. S.; PORTERO, L.R.; ALVARADO, NN; FARIAS M.E.; VAZQUEZ M.P.; ALBARRACÍN V. H.

WORLD JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2021

0959-3993

Central Andean Ecosystems (between 2000 and 6000 masl) are typical arid to semiarid environments suffering from the highest total solar and UVB radiation on the planet but displaying numerous salt flats and shallow lakes. Isolated from these environments, Andean Microbial Communities (AME) of exceptional biodiversity endures multiple severe conditions. Also, the poly-extremophilic nature of AME´s microbes indicates the potential for biotechnological applications. In this context, the presented study used genome mining, physiological and microscopical characterization to reveal the multi-resistant profile of Nesterenkonia sp. Act20, an actinobacterium isolated from the soil surrounding Lake Socompa, Salta, Argentina (3570 m). UV-B, desiccation, and copper assays showed the strain´s exceptional resistance to all these factors. Act20´s genome presented coding sequences involving resistance to antibiotics, low temperatures, UV, arsenic, nutrient limiting conditions, osmotic stress, low atmospheric oxygen pressure, heavy metal stress, and toxics fluoride and chlorite. Act20 can also synthesize proteins and natural products such as an insecticide, bacterial cellulose, ectoine, bacterial hemoglobin, and even antibiotics like colicin V and aurachin C. We also found numerous enzymes for animal and vegetal biomass degradation and application in other industrial processes. The resilience of Act20 and its biotechnological potential were proven in this work.