title: Diversity and enzymatic profiling of halotolerant micromycetes from Sebkha El Melah, a Saharan salt flat in southern Tunisia.
abstract: Twenty-one moderately halotolerant fungi have been isolated from sample ashes collected from Sebkha El Melah, a Saharan salt flat located in southern Tunisia. Based on morphology and sequence inference from the internal transcribed spacer regions, 28S rRNA gene and other specific genes such as β-tubulin, actin, calmodulin, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the isolates were found to be distributed over 15 taxa belonging to 6 genera of Ascomycetes: Cladosporium (n = 3), Alternaria (n = 4), Aspergillus (n = 3), Penicillium (n = 5), Ulocladium (n = 2), and Engyodontium (n = 2). Their tolerance to different concentrations of salt in solid and liquid media was examined. Excepting Cladosporium cladosporioides JA18, all isolates were considered as alkali-halotolerant since they were able to grow in media containing 10% of salt with an initial pH 10. All isolates were resistant to oxidative stresses and low temperature whereas 5 strains belonging to Alternaria, Ulocladium, and Aspergillus genera were able to grow at 45°C. The screening of fungal strains for sets of enzyme production, namely, cellulase (CMCase), amylase, protease, lipase, and laccase, in presence of 10% NaCl, showed a variety of extracellular hydrolytic and oxidative profiles. Protease was the most abundant enzyme produced whereas laccase producers were members of the genus Cladosporium.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Atef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaouani
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neifar
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università degli Studi di Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prigione
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Amani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayari
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imed
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sbissi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Amor
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Seifeddine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Tekaya
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università degli Studi di Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10125 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna Cristina
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Varese
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Biotechnologie et Valorisation des Bio-Géo Ressources, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sidi Thabet, Université La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ameur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherif
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Maher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gtari
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044822:Biodiversity; D003889:Desert Climate; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins