title: Selective isolation of potentially phosphate-mobilizing, biosurfactant-producing and biodegradative bacteria associated with a sub-Arctic, terricolous lichen, Peltigera membranacea.
abstract: Lichens are the symbiotic association of fungi and a photosynthetic partner. However, non-phototrophic bacteria are also present and thought to comprise an essential part of the lichen symbiosis, although their roles in the symbiosis are still poorly understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized 110 non-phototrophic bacterial lichen associates from thalli of the terricolous lichen Peltigera membranacea The biodegradative and other nutrient-scavenging properties studied among selected isolates were phosphate mobilization, biosurfactant production and degradation of napthalene and several biopolymers, suggesting organic and inorganic nutrient scavenging as roles for bacteria in the lichen symbiotic association. Identification by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the isolates comprised 18 genera within the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, many with high similarities with bacteria typically associated with the plant and rhizosphere environments, could suggest that plants may be important sources of terricolous lichen-associated bacteria, or vice versa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Borgir vid Nordurslod, 600 Akureyri, Iceland Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Margrét Auður
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sigurbjörnsdóttir
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Borgir vid Nordurslod, 600 Akureyri, Iceland Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Vatnsmýrarvegur 16, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland oddurv@unak.is.
authors.forename: Oddur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vilhelmsson
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001110:Arctic Regions; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068536:Bacillota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008011:Lichens / Q000382:microbiology*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D020560:Proteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Peltigera membranacea; biodegradative bacteria; biosurfactant producing; lichen-associates; phosphate-mobilizing