title: Bioprospection of cold-adapted yeasts with biotechnological potential from Antarctica.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability to produce extracellular hydrolytic enzymes at low temperature of yeasts isolated from 25 de Mayo island, Antarctica, and to identify those exhibiting one or more of the evaluated enzymatic activities. A total of 105 yeast isolates were obtained from different samples and 66 were identified. They belonged to 12 basidiomycetous and four ascomycetous genera. Most of the isolates were ascribed to the genera Cryptococcus, Mrakia, Cystobasidium, Rhodotorula, Gueomyces, Phenoliferia, Leucosporidium, and Pichia. Results from enzymes production at low temperatures revealed that the Antarctic environment contains metabolically diverse cultivable yeasts, which represent potential tools for biotechnological applications. While most the isolates proved to produce 2-4 of the investigated exoenzymes, two of them evidenced the six evaluated enzymatic activities: Pichia caribbica and Guehomyces pullulans, which were characterized as psycrotolerant and psycrophilic, respectively. In addition, P. caribbica could assimilate several n-alkanes and diesel fuel. The enzyme production profile and hydrocarbons assimilation capacity, combined with its high level of biomass production and the extended exponential growth phase make P. caribbica a promising tool for cold environments biotechnological purposes in the field of cold-enzymes production and oil spills bioremediation as well.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Martha
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4266-8629
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Martorell
authors.affiliation: Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.|Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.|Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC-UBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucas Adolfo Mauro
authors.initials: LAM
authors.lastname: Ruberto
authors.affiliation: Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pablo Marcelo
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.|Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Tucumán, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucía Inés
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Castellanos de Figueroa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.|Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.|Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC-UBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Walter Patricio
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Mac Cormack
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D065132:Bioprospecting; D001709:Biotechnology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005742:Gasoline; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D010843:Pichia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005742:Gasoline; D006838:Hydrocarbons
keywords: antarctica; biotechnology; enzymes; yeasts