Extracellular enzymatic activities of basidiomycetous yeasts isolated from glacial and subglacial waters of northwest Patagonia (Argentina)

BRIZZIO SILVIA; TURCHETTI BENEDETTA; DE GARCÍA VIRGINIA; LIBKIND DIEGO; BUZZINI PIETRO; VAN BROOCK MARÍA

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY

NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS

Año: 2007 vol. 53 p. 519 - 525

0008-4166

As part of a project aimed at the selection of cold-adapted yeasts expressing biotechnologically interesting features, the extracellular enzymatic activity (EEA) of basidiomycetous yeasts isolated from glacial and subglacial waters of northwest Patagonia (Argentina) was investigated. Ninety-one basidiomycetous yeasts (belonging to the genera Cryptococcus, Leucosporidiella, Dioszegia, Mrakia, Rhodotorula, Rhodosporidium, Sporobolomyces, Sporidiobolus, Cystofilobasidium, and Udeniomyces) were screened for extracellular amylolytic, proteolytic, lipolytic, esterasic, pectinolytic, chitinolytic, and cellulolytic activities. Over 15% of the strains exhibited three or more different EEAs at 4 degrees C and more than 63% had at least two EEAs at the same temperature. No chitinolytic or cellulolytic activities were detected at 4 and 20 degrees C. Cell-free supernatants exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.01) protease and lipase activities at < or = 10 degrees C, or even at 4 degrees C. In light of these findings, cold environments of Patagonia (Argentina) may be considered a potential source of cold-adapted yeasts producing industrially relevant cold-active enzymes.