title: Rapid method for isolation of desiccation-tolerant strains and xeroprotectants.
abstract: A novel biotechnological process has been developed for the isolation of desiccation-tolerant microorganisms and their xeroprotectants, i.e., compatible solutes involved in long-term stability of biomolecules in the dry state. Following exposure of soil samples to chloroform, we isolated a collection of desiccation-tolerant microorganisms. This collection was screened for the production of xeroprotectants by a variation of the bacterial milking (osmotic downshock) procedure and by a novel air-drying/rehydration ("dry milking") incubation method. The resultant solutes were shown to protect both proteins and living cells against desiccation damage, thereby validating them as xeroprotectants. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analytical studies were performed to identify the xeroprotectants; synthetic mixtures of these compounds were shown to perform similarly to natural isolates in drying experiments with proteins and cells. This new approach has biotechnological and environmental implications for the identification of new xeroprotectants of commercial and therapeutic value.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Water Research and Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Narváez-Reinaldo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-López
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tunnacliffe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manzanera
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003890:Desiccation; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D050296:Microbial Viability; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D020011:Protective Agents; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S