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Production and characterization of exopolysaccharides by Geobacillus thermodenitrificans ArzA-6 and Geobacillus toebii ArzA-8 strains isolated from an Armenian geothermal spring

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Abstract

The thermal ecosystems, including geothermal springs, are proving to be source of thermophiles able to produce extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs). Among the sixteen thermophilic bacilli isolated from sediment sampled from Arzakan geothermal spring, Armenia, two best EPSs producer strains were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and phenotypic characteristics, and designated as Geobacillus thermodenitrificans ArzA-6 and Geobacillus toebii ArzA-8 strains. EPSs production was investigated under different time, temperature and culture media’s composition. The highest specific EPSs production yield (0.27 g g−1 dry cells and 0.22 g g−1 dry cells for strains G. thermodenitrificans ArzA-6 and G. toebii ArzA-8, respectively) was observed after 24 h when fructose was used as sole carbon source at 65 °C and pH 7.0. Purified EPSs displayed a high molecular mass: 5 × 105 Da for G. thermodenitrificans ArzA-6 and 6 × 105 Da for G. toebii ArzA-8. Chemical composition and structure of the biopolymers, determined by GC–MS, HPAE-PAD and NMR, showed that both the two EPSs are heteropolymers composed by mannose as major monomer unit. Optical rotation values [α] 25 °CD of the two EPSs (2 mg ml−1 H2O) were − 142,135 and − 128,645 for G. thermodenitrificans ArzA-6 and G. toebii ArzA-8, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the FEBS Short Fellowship-2009 H.P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Yerevan State University, Alex Manoogian 1, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia

    Hovik Panosyan

  2. Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Council of Research (C.N.R.), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy

    Paola Di Donato, Annarita Poli & Barbara Nicolaus

  3. Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Centro Direzionale, Isola C4, 80143, Naples, Italy

    Paola Di Donato

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  1. Hovik Panosyan
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Correspondence to Hovik Panosyan.

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Panosyan, H., Di Donato, P., Poli, A. et al. Production and characterization of exopolysaccharides by Geobacillus thermodenitrificans ArzA-6 and Geobacillus toebii ArzA-8 strains isolated from an Armenian geothermal spring. Extremophiles 22, 725–737 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-018-1032-9

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