Cold-adapted strains as plant growth-promoting bacteria on soybean seeds and biocontrol agents against Macrophomina phaseolina.

Aim: The aim was to characterize cold-adapted bacteria by testing their PGP features and antagonistic activity against Macrophomina phaseolina, both in vitro and coating soybean seeds (Glycine max [L.] Merr.).

Burkholderia gladioli MB39 an Antarctic Strain as a Biocontrol Agent.

Bioprospecting sub-explored environments such as Antarctic locations leads to finding out diverse activities, reducing harmful chemical usage that affects both human health and the environment. In this study, ~ 7000 cold-adapted bacterial strains were isolated from samples around Melchior Antarctic Base at 5 °C and more than 13,000 at 15 °C. Out of them, 900 different colony morphotypes were evaluated for antimicrobial production, and 13 isolates demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal activities.

Cost-effective optimized scleroglucan production by Sclerotium rolfsii ATCC 201126 at bioreactor scale. A quantity-quality assessment.

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) secretion by Sclerotium rolfsii ATCC 201126 in submerged cultures, already identified as high-osmolarity responsive, was assessed by reducing C-source without compromising EPS yields. A designed medium with 80 g sucrose L (MOPT) was tested at 3 L-bioreactor scale at different temperature, agitation, aeration and pH (uncontrolled vs. controlled) values.

Use of glycerol for the production of actinobacteria with well-known bioremediation abilities.

Unlabelled: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the remediation of contaminated environments, and a suitable solution is in situ bioremediation. To achieve this, large-scale bacterial biomass production should be sustainable, using economic culture media. The main aim of this study was to optimize the physicochemical conditions for the biomass production of an actinobacterium with well-known bioremediation ability using inexpensive substrates and to scale-up its production in a bioreactor.

Prevalence, serotypes and virulence genes of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women with 35-37 weeks of gestation.

Background: In pregnant women Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) can be transmitted to newborn causing severe infections. It is classified into 10 serotypes (Ia, Ib, II-IX). The severity of neonatal disease is determined by the capsular serotype and virulence factors such as the polysaccharide capsule, encoded by the cps gene, protein C, which includes the Cα surface proteins (bca gene), Rib (rib gene) and Cβ (bac gene); the proteins Lmb (lmb gene), FbsB (fbsB gene), FbsA (fbsA gene), the cyl operon encoding a β-hemolysin (hylB gene), the CAMP factor (cfb gene) and the C5a peptidase (scpB gene).

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Resistance to Macrolides and Lincosamides in Isolated from Pregnant Women in Misiones, Argentina.

The aim of this work was to determine the susceptibility, molecular profile, and clonal relationship in (group B [GBS]) isolated from vaginal-rectal swab samples. We worked with 200 isolates collected from pregnant women between 35 and 37 weeks of gestation. The macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLS) resistance phenotypes were determined using the double-disc assay.

Heavy metal capture by autochthonous yeasts from a volcanic influenced environment of Patagonia.

Heavy metals at elevated concentrations are a major threat to agricultural and human health. Typically, human activities tend to release these metals to the environment in aqueous solutions, generating high levels of pollution due to the mobility of the heavy metals. The aim of the present work was to assess heavy metal tolerance in yeasts isolated from Río Agrio - Lake Caviahue volcanic acidic aquatic environment and to evaluate the capacity of selected strains to capture metals in acidic culture media conditions.

Pseudomonas yamanorum sp. nov., a psychrotolerant bacterium isolated from a subantarctic environment.

A psychrotolerant strain, 8H1(T), was isolated from soil samples collected in Isla de los Estados, Ushuaia, Argentina. Cells were Gram-negative, aerobic, straight rods, occurring singly or in pairs, non-spore-forming and motile by means of two polar flagella. The isolate was able to grow in the range 4-35 °C, with optimum growth at 28 °C.

Andrimid production at low temperature by a psychrotolerant Serratia proteamaculans strain.

Andrimid, a known non-ribosomal pseudo-peptide antibiotic, was isolated from a psychrotolerant Serratia proteamaculans strain. The antibiotic peptide was produced at low temperature (8 °C) in a 7.5 l BIOFLO 101 bioreactor under batch culture mode.

Effects of thermal, alkaline and ultrasonic treatments on scleroglucan stability and flow behavior.

Aqueous solutions (0.2%, w/v) of scleroglucans from Sclerotium rolfsii ATCC 201126 from different cultivation time or purification protocol (EPS I, EPS II, EPSi) as well as a commercial scleroglucan (LSCL) exhibited different sensitivity against thermal (65, 95 and 150°C), ultrasonic (1, 5 and 10 min; 20% amplitude) or alkaline (0.01-0.

Unraveling the decolourizing ability of yeast isolates from dye-polluted and virgin environments: an ecological and taxonomical overview.

Microcosm assays with dye-amended culture media under a shot-feeding strategy allowed us to obtain 100 yeast isolates from the wastewater outfall channel of a dyeing textile factory in Tucumán (Argentina). Meanwhile, 63 yeast isolates were obtained from Phoebe porphyria (Laurel del monte) samples collected from Las Yungas rainforest (Tucumán), via a classical isolation scheme. Isolated yeasts, both from dye-polluted and virgin environments, were compared for their textile dye decolourization ability when cultured on solid and liquid media.

Cold-adapted microorganisms as a source of new antimicrobials.

Thirty out of 8,000 different colony morphotypes isolated from soil samples of Isla de los Estados were selected based on their ability to produce antimicrobials. The significant influence of culture media and incubation temperature on antimicrobial production was proved, being LB medium and 8 degrees C the conditions of choice. Most of the psychrotolerant isolates were phylogenetically related to Serratia proteamaculans (96.

Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of a gene encoding an endoxylanase from Bacillus halodurans S7.

The gene encoding an alkaline active xylanase of Bacillus halodurans S7, containing an open reading frame of 1188 nucleotides encoding 396 amino acids, was cloned and expressed in Escherchia coli. On the basis of sequence similarity, possible -10 and -35, ribosome binding, and transcription terminator regions were identified. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that the protein was a single domain enzyme belonging to family 10 and designated as xyn10A.

Nesterenkonia aethiopica sp. nov., an alkaliphilic, moderate halophile isolated from an Ethiopian soda lake.

Strain DSM 17733(T), isolated from the shore of Lake Abjata in Ethiopia, is a heterotrophic, alkaliphilic, moderately halophilic, Gram-positive, strictly aerobic, non-motile,non-endospore-forming bacterium. The organism grows optimally at 30-37 degrees C, pH 9 and 3 % (w/v) NaCl. Analysis of the cell wall showed the presence of murein of the type L-lys-gly-L-Glu, variation A4alpha.

Clostridium lundense sp. nov., a novel anaerobic lipolytic bacterium isolated from bovine rumen.

A strictly anaerobic, mesophilic, endospore-forming, lipolytic bacterium, designated strain R1T, was isolated from bovine rumen fluid and characterized. Cells of this isolate were Gram-positive, non-motile rods that formed spherical terminal spores. The overall biochemical and physiological characteristics indicated that this strain should be placed in the genus Clostridium.

Sequence analysis, cloning and over-expression of an endoxylanase from the alkaliphilic Bacillus halodurans.

The BhMIR32 xyn11A gene, encoding an extracellular endoxylanase of potential interest in bio-bleaching applications, was amplified from Bacillus halodurans MIR32 genomic DNA. The protein encoded is an endo-1,4-beta-xylanase belonging to family 11 of glycosyl hydrolases. Its nucleotide sequence was analysed and the mature peptide was subcloned into pET22b(+) expression vector.

Bacillus bogoriensis sp. nov., a novel alkaliphilic, halotolerant bacterium isolated from a Kenyan soda lake.

Strain LBB3(T) isolated from Bogoria soda lake in Kenya is an alkaliphilic, Gram-positive, strictly aerobic, non-motile, spore-forming bacterium. It was identified as a member of the genus Bacillus on the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses. The organism grows optimally at 37 degrees C and pH 10.

Chromohalobacter sarecensis sp. nov., a psychrotolerant moderate halophile isolated from the saline Andean region of Bolivia.

A moderately halophilic, aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium (strain LV4(T)) was isolated from saline soil around the lake Laguna Verde in the Bolivian Andes. The organism is a heterotroph, able to utilize various carbohydrates as a carbon source. It showed tryptophan deaminase, oxidase and catalase activity, but was unable to produce indole or H(2)S; nitrate was not reduced.

Starch hydrolysing Bacillus halodurans isolates from a Kenyan soda lake.

Fourteen obligate alkaliphilic and halotolerant bacterial isolates, exhibiting extracellular amylase activity at 55 degrees C and pH 10, were isolated from hot springs around Lake Bogoria, Kenya. From 16S rDNA sequence analysis, nine isolates shared 100% identity with Bacillus halodurans strain DSM 497T, while the rest shared 99% identity with alkaliphilic Bacillus species A-59. PCR of the intergenic spacer region between 16S and 23S rRNA genes (ISR-PCR) divided the isolates into two groups, while tDNA-PCR divided them into three groups.

Halomonas boliviensis sp. nov., an alkalitolerant, moderate halophile isolated from soil around a Bolivian hypersaline lake.

Halomonas boliviensis sp. nov. is proposed for two moderately halophilic, psychrophilic, alkalitolerant bacteria, LC1(T) (=DSM 15516(T)=ATCC BAA-759(T)) and LC2 (=DSM 15517=ATCC BAA-760), both of which were isolated from a soil sample around the lake Laguna Colorada, located at 4300 m above sea level in the south-west region of Bolivia.

Characterization of a new xylitol-producer Candida tropicalis strain.

A xylitol-producer yeast isolated from corn silage and designated as ASM III was selected based on its outstanding biotechnological potential. When cultivated in batch culture mode and keeping the dissolved oxygen at 40% saturation, xylitol production was as high as 130 g l(-1) with a yield of 0.93 g xylitol g(-1) xylose consumed.

Lipase-producing microorganisms from a Kenyan alkaline soda lake.

Lipolytic enzyme production of 150 isolated strains from samples of Lake Bogoria (Kenya) was examined. Among these, fifteen isolates were selected on the basis of their lipolytic activities and subjected to morphological and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses for their identification. All the microorganisms have been selected under culture conditions with pH ranges between 7-10 and temperatures of 37-55 degrees C.

Sequence analysis of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from the alkaliphilic Bacillus agaradhaerens.

The gene encoding an alkaline active cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) from the alkaliphilic B. agaradhaerens LS-3C was cloned and sequenced. It encodes a mature polypeptide of 679 amino acids with a molecular mass of 76,488 Da.

Aerobic biodegradation of nonylphenol by cold-adapted bacteria.

Three strains capable of mineralizing nonylphenol as sole carbon source were isolated from a sample of contaminated soil and characterized as two Pseudomonas spp. and a Stenotrophomonas sp. The two Pseudomonas spp.

Cold-adapted yeasts as producers of cold-active polygalacturonases.

Eight cold-adapted, polygalacturonase-producing yeasts belonging to four species were isolated from frozen environmental samples in Iceland. They were identified as Cystofilobasidium lari-marini, Cystofilobasidium capitatum, Cryptococcus macerans and Cryptococcus aquaticus species by sequence analysis of rDNA regions. Growth behavior of the isolates was investigated.