Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization of 15 selected coccal bacteria isolated from antarctic rock and soil samples from the McMurdo-Dry Valleys (South-Victoria Land)

  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Approximately 1500 cultures of microorganisms were isolated from rocks and soils of the Ross Desert (McMurdo-Dry Valleys). From these, 15 coccoid strains were chosen for more detailed investigation. They were characterized by morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomical properties. All isolates were Grampositive, catalase-positive and nonmotile. Six strains showed red pigmentation and could be identified as members of the genera Micrococcus (M. roseus, M. agilis) or Deinococcus. In spite of their coccoid morphology, the remaining nine strains had to be associated with coryneform bacteria (Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium), because of their cell wall composition and G+C ratios. Most of the strains were psychrotrophic, but one strain was even obligately psychrophilic, with a temperature maximum below 20°C. Red cocci had in vitro pH optima above 9.0 although they generally originated from acid samples. Most isolates showed a preference for sugar alcohols and organic acids, compounds which are commonly known to be released by lichens, molds and algae, the other components of the cryptoendolithic ecosystem. These properties indicate that our strains are autochthonous members of the natural Antarctic microbial population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson DG, McKay LL (1983) Simple and rapid method for isolating large plasmid DNA from lactic streptococci. Appl Environ Microbiol 46:549–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird-Parker AC (1965) The classification of Staphylococci and Micrococci from world-wide sources. J Gen Microbiol 38:363–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd WL, Staley JT, Boyd JW (1966) Ecology of soil microorganisms of Antarctica. In: Tedrow ICF (ed) Antarctic soils and soil forming processes, vol 8. Antarct Res Ser. Am Geophys Union, Washington, pp 125–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks BW, Murray RGE (1981) Nomenclature for “Micrococcus radiodurans” and other radiation-resistent cocci: Deinococcaceae fam. nov. and Deinococcus gen. nov., including five species. Int J Syst Bacteriol 31:353–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks BW, Murray RGE, Johnson JL, Stackebrandt E, Woese CR, Fox GE (1980) Red-pigmented micrococci: A basis of taxonomy. Int J Syst Bacteriol 30:627–646

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooney JJ, Marks HW, Smith AM (1966) Isolation and identification of canthaxanthin from Micrococcus roseus. J Bacteriol 92:342–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Counsell TJ, Murray RGE (1986) Polar lipid profiles of the genus Deinococcus. Int J Syst Bacteriol 36:202–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Craigie JS (1974) Storage products. In: Stewart WDP (ed) Algal physiology and biochemistry, vol 10. Blackwell, London, pp 206–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Darling CA, Siple PA (1941) Bacteria of Antarctica. J Bacteriol 42:83–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckardt FEW, Roggentin P, Hirsch P (1979) Fatty acid composition of various hyphal budding bacteria. Arch Microbiol 120:81–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann EI (1982) Endolithic microorganisms in the Antarctic cold desert. Science 215:1045–1053

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann EI, Ocampo R (1976) Endolithic blue-green algae in the dry valleys: primary producers and the Antarctic desert ecosystem. Science 193:1247–1249

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann EI, Garty J, Kappen L (1980) Fertile stages of cryptoendolithic lichens in the dry valleys of southern Victoria Land. Antarct J US 15:166–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodfellow M, Minnikin DE (1981) Introduction to the coryneform bacteria. In: Starr MP, Stolp H, Trüper HG, Balows A, Schlegel HG (eds) The Prokaryotes, vol II. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 1811–1826

    Google Scholar 

  • Hale ME, Ocampo-Friedmann R (1984) Ascospore cultures of lichen phycobionts from the Antarctic desert. Antarct J US 19:170

    Google Scholar 

  • Harper JJ, Davis GHG (1979) Two-dimensional thinlayer chromatography for amino acid analysis of bacterial cell walls. Int J Syst Bacteriol 29:56–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellebust JA (1974) Extracellular products. In: Stewart WDP (ed) Algal physiology and biochemistry, vol 10. Blackwell, London, pp 838–863

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill DJ (1970) The carbohydrate movement between the symbionts of lichens. D Phil thesis, University of Oxford

  • Hirsch P, Gallikowski C, Friedmann E (1985) Microorganisms in soil samples from Linneaus Terrace southern Victoria Land: Preliminary observations. Antarct J US 19:183–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishida Y, Kadota H (1981) Growth patterns and substrate requirements of naturally occurring obligate oligotrophs. Microbiol Ecol 7:123–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson RM, Bellinoff RD (1981) Characteristics of cold desert Antarctic coryneform bacteria. In: Parker E (ed) Terrestrial biology, III. Antarct Res Ser, vol 30, pp 169–184

  • Johnson RM, Inai M, McCarthy S (1981) Characteristics of cold desert Antarctic coryneform bacteria. J Arizona-Nevada Acad Sci 16:51–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson RM, Madden JM, Swaford JR (1978) Taxonomy of Antarctic bacteria from soils and air primarily of the McMurdo station and Victoria Land dry valleys region. In: Parker E (ed) Terrestrial biology, III. Antarctic Res Ser, vol 30, pp 35–64

  • Jones D, Collins MD (1986) Irregular, nonsporing gram-positive rods. In: Krieg NR (ed) Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology, vol 2, 9th edn. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 1261–1434

    Google Scholar 

  • Kappen L (1983) Ecology and physiology of the Antarctic fructicose lichen Usnea sulphurea (Koenig) Th. Fries. Polar Biol 1:249–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Kappen L, Friedmann EI (1983) Ecophysiology of lichens in the dry valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. 2 CO2 gas exchange in cryptoendolithic lichens. Polar Biol 1:227–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Keddie RM, Jones D (1981) Saprophytic, aerobic coryneform bacteria. In: Starr MP, Stolp H, Trüper HG, Balows A, Schlegel HG (eds) The Prokaryotes, vol II. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 1838–1878

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis DH, Smith DC (1967) Sugar alcohols (polyols) in fungi and green plants. I. Distribution, physiology and metabolism. New Phytol 66:143–184

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKay MW, Al-Bakri GH, Moseley BEB (1985) The plasmids of Deinococcus spp. and the cloning and restriction mapping of the D. radiophilus plasmid pUE1. Arch Microbiol 141:91–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Madden JM, Siegel SK, Johnson RM (1978) Taxonomy of some Antarctic Bacillus and Corynebacterium species. In: Parker E (ed) Terrestrial biology, III. Antarct Res Ser, vol 30, pp 77–103

  • Mandel M, Igambi L, Bergendahl J, Donson ML, Scheltgen E (1970) Correlation of melting temperature and caesium chloride buoyant density of bacterial desoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol 101:333–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Marmur J (1961) A procedure for the isolation of desoxyribonucleic acid from microorganisms. J Mol Biol 3:208–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Marmur J, Doty P (1962) Determination of the base composition of desoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturation temperature. J Mol Biol 5:109–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathis JN, Kloos WE (1984) Isolation and characterization of Micrococcus plasmids. Curr Microbiol 10:339–344

    Google Scholar 

  • McLean AL (1918) Bacteria of ice and snow in Antarctica. Nature 102:35–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Morita RY (1975) Psychrophilic bacteria. Bacteriol Rev 39:144–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson DHS, Hill DH, Smith DC (1968) Lichen physiology. XI. The role of the alga in determining the pattern of carbohydrate movement between lichen symbionts. New Phytol 67:469–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer KH (1986) Gram-positive cocci. In: Krieg NR (ed) Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology, 9th edn, vol 2. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 999–1103

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleifer KH, Kandler O (1972) Peptidoglycan types of bacterial cell walls and their taxonomic implications. Bacteriol Rev 36:407–477

    Google Scholar 

  • Smibert RM, Krieg NR (1981) General characterization. In: Manual of methods for general microbiology. American Soc Microbiol Washington DC, pp 409–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Stackebrandt E, Lewis BJ, Woese CR (1980) The phylogenetic structure of the coryneform group of bacteria. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg Abt II Orig C 1:137–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Staley JT (1968) Prosthecomicrobium and Ancalomicrobium, new prostecate fresh water bacteria. J Bacteriol 95:1922

    Google Scholar 

  • Stokes JL (1963) Recent progress in microbiology. Gibbons NE (ed). University of Toronto Press, Toronto, pp 187

    Google Scholar 

  • Straka RP, Stokes JL (1960) Psychrophilic bacteria from Antarctica. J Bacteriol 80:622–625

    Google Scholar 

  • Tearle PV (1987) Cryptogamic carbohydrate release and microbial response during spring freeze-thaw cycles in Antarctic fellfield fines. Soil Biol Biochem 19:381–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestal JR, Friedmann EI (1982) In situ carbon metabolism by the cryptoendolithic microbial community in the Antarctic cold desert. Antarct J US 17:190–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Vishniac HS (1982) An enation system for the isolation of Antarctic yeasts inhibited by conventional media. Can J Microbiol 29:90–95

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Olshausenstraße 40/60, D-2300, Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany

    J. Siebert & P. Hirsch

Authors
  1. J. Siebert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Hirsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Siebert, J., Hirsch, P. Characterization of 15 selected coccal bacteria isolated from antarctic rock and soil samples from the McMurdo-Dry Valleys (South-Victoria Land). Polar Biol 9, 37–44 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441762

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441762

Keywords

Search

Navigation