Extracellular hydrolytic enzyme production by proteolytic bacteria from the Antarctic

TROPEANO M.; VAZQUEZ S.; CORIA S; TURJANSKI A; CICERO DO; BERCOVICH A.; MAC CORMACK W.

POLISH POLAR RESEARCH

POLISH ACAD SCIENCES COMMITTEE POLAR RESEARCH

Año: 2013 vol. 34 p. 253 - 267

0138-0338

Cold−adapted marine bacteria producing extracellular hydrolytic enzymes areimportant for their industrial application and play a key role in degradation of particulate or−ganic matter in their natural environment. In this work, members of a previously−obtainedprotease−producing bacterial collection isolated from different marine sources from PotterCove (South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic) were taxonomically identified and screenedfor their ability to produce other economically relevant enzymes. Eighty−eight proteolyticbacterial isolates were grouped into 25 phylotypes based on their Amplified RibosomalDNA Restriction Analysis profiles. The sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes from represen−tative isolates of the phylotypes showed that the predominant culturable protease−producingbacteria belonged to the class Gammaproteobacteria and were affiliated to the genera Pseu−domonas, Shewanella, Colwellia, and Pseudoalteromonas, the latter being the predominantgroup (64% of isolates). In addition, members of the classes Actinobacteria, Bacilli andFlavobacteria were found. Among the 88 isolates screened we detected producers ofamylases (21), pectinases (67), cellulases (53), CM−cellulases (68), xylanases (55) andagarases (57). More than 85% of the isolates showed at least one of the extracellular enzy−matic activities tested, with some of them producing up to six extracellular enzymes. Ourresults confirmed that using selective conditions to isolate producers of one extracellular enzyme activity increases the probability of recovering bacteria that will also produce addi−tional extracellular enzymes. This finding establishes a starting point for future programsoriented to the prospecting for biomolecules in Antarctica.