title: Cross-Species Induction and Enhancement of Antimicrobial Properties in Response to Gamma Irradiation in Exiguobacterium sp. HKG 126.
abstract: A gram positive, extreme haloalkaliphilic, radioresistant bacterium was isolated from mangrove region of Kerala (India) which was characterized as Exiguobacterium sp. HKG-126 using morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular characterization. Present investigation was undertaken to examine Exiguobacterium sp. as a potential source of broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and enhancement in this activity was observed due to cross-species/cross-genera induction and also in response to high dose of gamma (γ) irradiation. Individual studies on the antimicrobial activity of all the co-cultivated bacterial strains before and after mixed culture fermentation, showed excellent enhancement in antimicrobial activity of Exiguobacterium sp. against a variety of clinical pathogens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing existence of an extremely high radioresistant strain of (up to 15 kGy) Exiguobacterium sp.
authors.affiliation: Comparative Genomics Unit, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi, 110007 India.
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Biotechnology, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Timarpur, Delhi, 110007 India.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Comparative Genomics Unit, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi, 110007 India.
authors.forename: Hemant K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Gautam
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Cross-species induction; Exiguobacterium sp.; Extraction of secondary metabolites; Gamma irradiation