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Diversity and Bioprospective Potential (Cold-Active Enzymes) of Cultivable Marine Bacteria from the Subarctic Glacial Fjord, Kongsfjorden

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Abstract

The diversity and abundance of culturable bacteria in Kongsfjorden water (15 stations) and sediments (12 stations) were studied. Viable numbers ranged between 105–106 CFU l−1 in water and 102–104 CFU g−1 in the sediments. A total of 291 and 43 bacterial isolates were retrieved from the water (KJF) and sediments (FS), respectively. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, the KJF and FS isolates were grouped into 49 and 23 phylotypes, respectively. The KJF and FS phylotypes represented three phyla namely, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, Flavobacterium and Shewanella and at the species level, Pseudoaltermonas arctica and Colwellia psychrerythraea were dominant in the water and sediments, respectively. Most phylotypes were psychrotolerant with upper growth temperature limit of 25–37 °C and tolerated 0.3–2.5 M NaCl and pH values of 5.0–11.0. Majority of the phylotypes produced one or more of the extracellular hydrolytic enzymes amylase, lipase, caseinase, urease, gelatinase, and DNase at 4 and 18 °C, while none were chitinolytic. Few of the FS phylotypes exhibited extracellular activity only at 4 or 18 °C. Nine FS and 21 KJF isolates were pigmented. The predominant cellular fatty acids were unsaturated, branched, and modified fatty acids, which are unique to cold-adapted bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, for financial support to SS. SS would also like to thank NCAOR and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, for providing financial and logistic support for the trip to Arctic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    Sathish Prasad, Poorna Manasa, Sailaja Buddhi, Preethi Tirunagari, Zareena Begum & Sisinthy Shivaji

  2. National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Vasco-da-Gama, 403 804, Goa, India

    Sivaraman Rajan

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  1. Sathish Prasad
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Correspondence to Sisinthy Shivaji.

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Prasad, S., Manasa, P., Buddhi, S. et al. Diversity and Bioprospective Potential (Cold-Active Enzymes) of Cultivable Marine Bacteria from the Subarctic Glacial Fjord, Kongsfjorden. Curr Microbiol 68, 233–238 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0467-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0467-6

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