title: Haloarchaea Endowed with Phosphorus Solubilization Attribute Implicated in Phosphorus Cycle.
abstract: Archaea are unique microorganisms that are present in ecological niches of high temperature, pH and salinity. A total of 157 archaea were obtained from thirteen sediment, water and rhizospheric soil samples collected from Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India. With an aim to screen phosphate solubilizing archaea, a new medium was designed as Haloarchaea P Solubilization (HPS) medium. The medium supported the growth and P solubilization activity of archaea. Employing the HPS medium, twenty isolates showed the P-solubilization. Phosphate solubilizing archaea were identified as seventeen distinct species of eleven genera namely Haloarcula, Halobacterium, Halococcus, Haloferax, Halolamina, Halosarcina, Halostagnicola, Haloterrigena, Natrialba, Natrinema and Natronoarchaeum. Natrinema sp. strain IARI-WRAB2 was identified as the most efficient P-solubilizer (134.61 mg/L) followed by Halococcus hamelinensis strain IARI-SNS2 (112.56 mg/L). HPLC analysis detected seven different kinds of organic acids, namely: gluconic acid, citric acid, formic acid, fumaric acid succinic acid, propionic acid and tartaric acid from the cultures of these isolates. These phosphate solubilizing halophilic archaea may play a role in P nutrition to vegetation growing in these hypersaline soils. This is the first report for these haloarchaea to solubilize considerable amount of P by production of organic acids and lowering of pH.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Ajar Nath
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Divya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Sneha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Surender
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh 362001, India.
authors.forename: Rinku
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh 362001, India.
authors.forename: Kamal Krishna
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Anil Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Saxena
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus