Antarctic bacterial isolates that produce cold-active extracellular proteases at low temperature but are active and stable at high temperature

Abstract

We report the isolation and identification of bacteria that produce extracellular cold-active proteases, obtained from water samples collected near the Uruguayan Antarctic Base on King George Island, South Shetlands. The bacteria belonged to the genera Pseudomonas (growth between 4 and 30°C) and Flavobacterium (growth between 4 and 18°C). In all cases, extracellular protease production was evident when reaching the stationary phase at 18 and 4ºC, but was not detected at 30ºC. The zymogram revealed the secretion of one extracellular protease per isolate, each with different relative electrophoretic mobility. The extracellular proteases produced at 4ºC showed thermal activity and stability at 30ºC. Both activity and stability at temperature higher that 10ºC have no physiological meaning because the isolates do not experience such temperatures in the Antarctic environment; however, the possible ecological value of cold-active and -stable extracellular proteases is discussed.

Keywords: Antarctic, cold-active enzymes, protease

(Published: 22 April 2011)

Citation: Polar Research 2011, 30, 7123, DOI: 10.3402/polar.v30i0.7123