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Production of antibiotics and enzymes by soil microorganisms from the windmill islands region, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica

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Abstract

The distribution of microorganisms in four soil samples taken near Casey Station, Wilkes Land, and on Dewart Island, Frazier Islands (East Antarctica), was studied using isolation cultures at different temperatures. The fungal assemblages comprised Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Phoma, Verticillium, Phialophora, Candida and Rhodotorula. Microalgal Chlorophyta were also common. Among the bacteria representatives of cyanobacteria, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Pantoea, Streptomyces, Micromonospora, and coryne- and nocardioform species were found. Some of the isolated actinomycete strains, determined as Arthrobacter, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces and Micromonospora, produced extracellular substances with antibacterial and antifungal activities. Their potential as biological agents against phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Dr. W. Petz (Salzburg) for soils samples from Wilkes Land, their description and reprints. Prof. M. Bölter (Kiel) is thanked for reprints and critical reading of the manuscript. I express great thanks to Prof. E. Stackebrandt (Braunschweig) for determination of the 16S rRNA gene sequences and analysis of the phylogenetic position of two Antarctic strains. Prof. R. Seppelt (Kingston) is thanked for constructive discussion, helpful comments and critical reading of the manuscript. Prof. D. Piepenburg is thanked for useful discussion and edition of the manuscript.

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  1. Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Victoria Gesheva

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  1. Victoria Gesheva
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Correspondence to Victoria Gesheva.

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Gesheva, V. Production of antibiotics and enzymes by soil microorganisms from the windmill islands region, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica. Polar Biol 33, 1351–1357 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0824-x

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