title: Agar-degrading bacteria isolated from Antarctic macroalgae.
abstract: This study describes the taxonomic diversity of pigmented, agar-degrading bacteria isolated from the surface of macroalgae collected in King George Island, Antarctica. A total of 30 pigmented, agarolytic bacteria were isolated from the surface of the Antarctic macroalgae Adenocystis utricularis, Monostroma hariotii, Iridaea cordata, and Pantoneura plocamioides. Based on the 16S rRNA data, the agarolytic isolates were affiliated to the genera Algibacter, Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium, Cellulophaga, Citricoccus, Labedella, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Salinibacterium, Sanguibacter, and Zobellia. Isolates phylogenetically related to Cellulophaga algicola showed the highest agarase activity in culture supernatants when tested at 4 and 37 °C. This is the first investigation of pigmented agar-degrading bacteria, members of microbial communities associated with Antarctic macroalgae, and the results suggest that they represent a potential source of cold-adapted agarases of possible biotechnological interest.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioquímica & Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla, 567, Valdivia, Chile.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioquímica & Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla, 567, Valdivia, Chile. sleiva@uach.cl.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5049-7746
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leiva
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000378:metabolism*; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012624:Seaweed / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D000362:Agar