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Diversity and cold-active hydrolytic enzymes of culturable bacteria associated with Arctic sea ice, Spitzbergen

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Abstract

The diversity of culturable bacteria associated with sea ice from four permanently cold fjords of Spitzbergen, Arctic Ocean, was investigated. A total of 116 psychrophilic and psychrotolerant strains were isolated under aerobic conditions at 4°C. The isolates were grouped using amplified rDNA restriction analysis fingerprinting and identified by partial sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The bacterial isolates fell in five phylogenetic groups: subclasses α and γ of Proteobacteria, the Bacillus–Clostridium group, the order Actinomycetales, and the Cytophaga–Flexibacter–Bacteroides (CFB) phylum. Over 70% of the isolates were affiliated with the Proteobacteria γ subclass. Based on phylogenetic analysis (<98% sequence similarity), over 40% of Arctic isolates represent potentially novel species or genera. Most of the isolates were psychrotolerant and grew optimally between 20 and 25°C. Only a few strains were psychrophilic, with an optimal growth at 10–15°C. The majority of the bacterial strains were able to secrete a broad range of cold-active hydrolytic enzymes into the medium at a cultivation temperature of 4°C. The isolates that are able to degrade proteins (skim milk, casein), lipids (olive oil), and polysaccharides (starch, pectin) account for, respectively, 56, 31, and 21% of sea-ice and seawater strains. The temperature dependences for enzyme production during growth and enzymatic activity were determined for two selected enzymes, α-amylase and β-galactosidase. Interestingly, high levels of enzyme productions were measured at growth temperatures between 4 and 10°C, and almost no production was detected at higher temperatures (20–30°C). Catalytic activity was detected even below the freezing point of water (at −5°C), demonstrating the unique properties of these enzymes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt and “Fonds der Chemischen Industrie” for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Technical Microbiology, Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Kasernenstr 12, 21073, Hamburg, Germany

    Tatiana Groudieva, Maryna Royter, Ralf Grote & Garabed Antranikian

  2. Bulgarian Academy of Science, Institute of Microbiology, Acad. G. Bonchevstr 26, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Margarita Kambourova

  3. Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Moharram Bay, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Hoda Yusef

  4. Electrotechnology I, Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, 21071, Hamburg, Germany

    Hauke Trinks

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  1. Tatiana Groudieva
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  2. Margarita Kambourova
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  5. Ralf Grote
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Correspondence to Garabed Antranikian.

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Communicated by K. Horikoshi

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Groudieva, T., Kambourova, M., Yusef, H. et al. Diversity and cold-active hydrolytic enzymes of culturable bacteria associated with Arctic sea ice, Spitzbergen. Extremophiles 8, 475–488 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-004-0409-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-004-0409-0

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