Diversity of moderately halophilic bacteria producing extracellular hydrolytic enzymes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of moderately halophilic bacteria with hydrolase activities.


RESULTS
Screening bacteria from different hypersaline environments in South Spain led to the isolation of a total of 122 moderately halophilic bacteria able to produce different hydrolases (amylases, DNases, lipases, proteases and pullulanases). These bacteria are able to grow optimally in media with 5-15% salts and in most cases up to 20-25% salts. In contrast to strains belonging to previously described species, that showed very little hydrolase activities, environmental isolates produced a great variety of hydrolases. These strains were identified as members of the genera: Salinivibrio (55 strains), Halomonas (25 strains), Chromohalobacter (two strains), Bacillus-Salibacillus (29 strains), Salinicoccus (two strains) and Marinococcus (one strain), as well as eight non-identified isolates.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderately halophilic bacteria are a source of hydrolytic enzymes such as amylases, DNases, lipases, proteases and pullulanases.


CONCLUSIONS
Although most culture collection strains are not able to produce hydrolases, it has been shown that environmental isolates can produce these potentially biotechnological important enzymes.
Sánchez-Porro
C
C
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
Martín
S
S
Mellado
E
E
Ventosa
A
A
D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D001407:Bacillus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003470:Culture Media; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D006216:Halobacteriaceae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020632:Halomonas / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008066:Lipolysis; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014733:Vibrio / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D043325:Xylan Endo-1,3-beta-Xylosidase; D014995:Xylosidases / Q000378:metabolism
D003470:Culture Media; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006867:Hydrolases; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D000681:Amylases; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D014995:Xylosidases; D043325:Xylan Endo-1,3-beta-Xylosidase; C100181:pullulanase; D010450:Endopeptidases