Isolation and Properties of the Bacterial Strain sp. SLB01.

Bacteria of the genus are widespread in soils and freshwater ecosystems and belong to the phylum Proteobacteria. The sp. SLB01 strain was isolated from diseased freshwater (Pallas, 1776) sponge, and the draft genome was published previously. However, the properties of the SLB01 strain are not known. The aim of the study is to describe some properties of the sp. SLB01 strain, isolated from sponge. The identification of the SLB01 strain was established as Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped, and psychrotolerant, with growth at 3 and 22 °C. We found that the SLB01 strain has proteolytic, lipolytic, and saccharolytic activity and can use citrates and reduce nitrates. The bacteria sp. SLB01 strain can grow, form biofilms, and produce the violet pigment violacein. We identified the pigments violacein and deoxyviolacein by chromatography and mass spectrometry. These metabolites may be of interest to biotechnology in the future. The studied characteristics of the sp. SLB01 strain are an important addition to previous studies of the genome of this strain. This study will help us to understand the relationship between the microbial communities of Lake Baikal and sponges.