Abstract:

To evaluate the potential of Antarctic microbial resources for exploitation, we isolated culturable bacteria from sediments collected from the Ross Sea region in Antarctica and examined their diversity and extracellular enzyme activities. Pure cultured bacteria and fungi were isolated using Zobell 2216E medium and potato dextrose agar(PDA). Diversity and phylogeny of culturable microorganisms were analyzed using 16S rDNA and 18S/ITS sequencing. We found 79 strains of bacteria and 54 strains of fungi, of which Psychrobacter and Cladosporium were dominant. Phenotypic similarity with model strain was low (less than 97%) in two bacterial strains, indicating the potential discovery of new species. Results from API20NE tests show that most strains have extracellular hydrolase activity. This study provides new information on culturable microbial resources in Antarctica and lays the foundation for exploitation of Antarctic microbial resources.

Key words: Ross Sea, culturable strains, ectoenzyme