Alkaliphilic soil actinomycetes

The actinomycete complex of alkaline soils was found to be dominated by alkaliphilic streptomycetes, which showed maximal radial rates of colony growth at pH 8. At pH values of 7 and 10, the growth of these streptomycetes was poor. Alkaliphilic streptomycetes can be morphologically differentiated from other actinomycetes based on their high radial rates of colony growth and increased spore formation in alkaline media as compared to neutral media.     

Antagonistic activity of soil acidophilic actinomycetes

It has been shown that soil acidophilic actinomycetes (mycelial prokaryotes with a growth optinum between pH 3 and 7) markedly differ from neutrophilic actinomycetes in antimicrobial activity: the former are more active against fungi and yeasts, whereas the latter effectively suppress Gram-positive bacteria. Acidophilic streptomycetes actively inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic fungi, especially on acidic media.     

Acidophilic and thermophilic Bacillus strains from geothermally heated antarctic soil

From soil enrichment culture of quinoline-4-carboxylic acid-degrading bacterium was isolated. The organism was identified as Microbacterium sp. Mutants were induced with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. One mutant accumulated successively two metabolites which were identified as 2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-quinoline-4-carboxylic acid and 8-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran-4-carboxylic acid.     

Population dynamics of oligosporous actinomycetes in Chernozem soil

Investigation of the dynamics of an oligosporous actinomycete population in chernozem soil in the course of succession induced by soil wetting allowed us to reveal the time intervals and conditions optimal for the isolation of particular oligosporous actinomycetes. Saccharopolysporas and microbisporas proved to be best isolated in the early and late stages of succession, whereas actinomycetes of the subgroup Actinomadura and saccharomonosporas could be best isolated in the early and intermediate stages of succession.     

Isolation and characterization of alachlor-degrading actinomycetes from soil

Alachlor (2-cloro-N-(methoxymethyl)-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-acetamide) is an extremely toxic and highly mobile herbicide that is widely used for pre-emergence control of grasses and weeds in many commercial crops in Brazil. In order to select soil actinomycetes able to degrade this herbicide, fifty-three actinomycete strains were isolated from soil treated with alachlor using selective conditions and subjected to in vitro degradation assays. Sixteen isolates were shown to be tolerant to high concentrations of the herbicide (up to 720 mg L^-1), and six of these were able to grow and degrade 50 alachlor (72 mg L^-1) in mineral salts medium. Morphological and phylogenetic analysis enabled the assignment of the alachlor-degrading strains to the genus Streptomyces. Strain LS151 was related to the type strains of Streptomyces capoamus/Streptomyces galbus, whereas strains LS143 and LS153 were related to Streptomyces bikiniensis. The remaining strains, LS166, LS177 and LS182, were similar in morphological features and recovered in a single cluster based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, but shown to be distinct on the basis of genomic fingerprint data (rep-PCR). Though a definitive taxonomic assignment of alachlor-degrading strains was not possible, these data indicate that ability to degrade this pesticide was detected in different Streptomyces taxa.     

大香格里拉土壤放线菌组成分析及生物活性测定

【目的】探究大香格里拉地区的土壤放线菌组成及其抑菌和酶活性,为放线菌新药物先导化合物和高活性酶的筛选提供资源。【方法】从大香格里拉地区不同海拔高度采集220份土样,用4种培养基,分别进行了常温放线菌和低温放线菌的分离。从常温放线菌中选择25株代表菌株进行了初步分类鉴定。采用琼脂扩散法,检测了其对4株细菌和7株农作物致病真菌的抑菌活性;利用特异性引物扩增法,筛选了其聚酮合酶(PKSⅠ、PKSⅡ)基因、非核糖体多肽合成酶(NRPS)基因和多烯类化合物合成酶(CYP)基因。同时,检测了低温菌的多种酶活性。【结果】25株常温代表菌的系统发育分析显示它们分属于放线菌目的6个亚目、12个科、15个属。其中14株菌的NRPS及11株的CYP基因筛选呈阳性。低温条件下分离到的111株放线菌,88%属于耐冷菌,12%是嗜冷菌,它们中的大部分能利用明胶、纤维素,甲壳素等。【结论】研究结果显示,大香格里拉森林土壤蕴涵着种类和活性丰富的放线菌,为放线菌资源的开发利用和保护提供了新依据。     

Acidophilic Soil Actinomycetes

A clear-cut dependence of the distribution of acidophilic actinomycetes on the pH value of soil was established. Acidophilic actinomycetes were found to be present in soils whose pH does not exceed 6.8 (acid forest soils, lowland peaty soil, and ordinary chernozem) and not in slightly alkaline soils (chestnut sodic and alluvial meadow soils). In acid lowland peaty soil, the species diversity of acidophilic streptomycetes was lesser than the species diversity of streptomycetes revealed in the same soil by using neutral medium.     

Feeding trials ofAphelenchus avenae on soil bacteria and actinomycetes

Summary Aphelenchus avenae and various unidentified bacteria and actinomycetes were cultured from soil samples taken from a pine-forest and a wheat-field. The nematode failed to reproduce in significant numbers on cultures of these micro-organisms and was apparently unable to utilize them as food sources.     

Application of actinomycetes to soil to ameliorate water repellency

AIMS: The aim of this study was to develop a novel isolation technique using a mixture of Bacillus and Streptomyces phages to selectively isolate wax-utilizing non-streptomycete actinomycetes effective in ameliorating water repellency in a problem soil. METHODS AND RESULTS: Phages added to a soil suspension reduced the dominance of Bacillus and Streptomyces isolates and significantly increased the number of non-streptomycete actinomycetes on isolation plates. Promising isolates, grown on a medium containing beeswax as sole carbon source, were selected for application to water repellent soil. Their addition significantly reduced water repellency. CONCLUSIONS: Phage application significantly increased the isolation of non-streptomycete actinomycetes. Wax-utilizing isolates were found to significantly reduce water repellency in a problem soil. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The phage technique can be used for the routine isolation of non-streptomycete actinomycetes. Beeswax medium can be used to selectively isolate wax-utilizing micro-organisms with the potential to ameliorate water repellency in soil.     

Isolation of actinomycetes from soil using extremely high frequency radiation

A new method employing extremely high frequencies (EHFs) is proposed for the selective isolation of actinomycetes from soil. The pretreatment of soil suspensions with EHF wavelengths of 5.6 and 7.1 mm led to a nonselective isolation of actinomycetes. At the same time, the irradiation of soil suspensions within wavelength bands of 3.8-5.8 and 8-11.5 mm considerably augmented the total number of isolated actinomycetes and increased the fraction of the isolated rare genera by 2 and 7 times, respectively. The rare actinomycete genera were represented by Actinomadura, Microtetraspora, Nonomuraea, Micromonospora, Amycolatopsis, Pseudonocardia, Saccharotrix, and Streptosporangium.     

Anti-Fusarium activity of cyanobacteria and actinomycetes in soil and rhizosphere

The effect of cyanobacteria (Nostoc linckia, N. commune, and Microchaeta tenera) and streptomycetes on the pathogenic micromycete Fusarium was studied in laboratory simulation experiments. Interpopulational relationships in the rhizosphere of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and in soddy-podzolic soil were investigated.     

Selective isolation of actinomycetes of the genus Actinomadura from soil

Some approaches to the selective isolation of actinomycetes of the genus Actinomadura from soil are described. The approach that involves thermal treatment of soil samples and their plating onto Gauze 1 medium with the antibiotics nystatin, nalidixic acid, and rubomycin provides for an increased amount of actinomaduras isolated from the soil actinomycete complex and for a decreased amount of streptomycetes.     

Fossilization of Acidophilic Microorganisms

This study examines fossil microorganisms found in iron-rich deposits in an extreme acidic environment, the Tinto River in SW Spain. Both electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and non-destructive in situ microanalytical techniques (EDS, EMP and XPS) were used to determine the role of permineralization and encrustation in preserving microorganisms forming biofilms in the sediments. Unicellular algae were preserved by silica permineralization of their cell walls. Bacterial biofilms were preserved as molds by epicellular deposition of schwertmannite around them. In the case of fungi and filamentous algae, we observed permineralization of cell structures by schwertmannite in the sediments. The extracellular polymeric matrix around the cells was also preserved through permineralization of the fibrillar component. The process of permineralization and deposition of iron-rich precipitates present in the acidic waters of Rio Tinto served to preserve many microfossils in an oxidizing environment, in which organic compounds would not normally be expected to persist. Studies of microbial fossil formation mechanisms in modern extreme environments should focus on defining criteria to identify inorganic traces of microbial life in past environments on Earth or other planets.     

Influence of agricultural crops on the actinomycetes flora in soil

Summary The influence of various crops on the actinomycetes flora was studied in different soil types. The influence of soil types on the numbers and species appeared to be more important than that of the crop grown. However, the crop did influence the actinomycetes, especially in the newly reclaimed soil of Oostelijk Flevoland. There it was found that were sugar beets had been grown the number of actinomycetes decreased; this was especially the case with the frequency of Streptomyces scabies. The actinomycetes flora of the rhizoplane differs from that of rhizosphere.     

微波处理对土壤放线菌分离效果的影响

采用稀释平皿分离测数及琼脂块法研究了微波预处理对土壤放线菌分离效果的影响.结果表明: 1)微波处理能显著增加可培养放线菌数量.随着微波处理时间的增加,高有机质土壤放线菌总数呈先增后减的趋势.处理3～15 min,GA及HA培养基上放线菌总数分别较对照提高8.3%～92.6%及24.4%～108.5%;处理18～24 min,放线菌总数分别较对照降低了62.1%～78.8%及41.4%～79.8%.微波处理对低有机质土壤放线菌数量无明显影响.2)微波处理对可培养放线菌种类有明显影响.随着微波处理时间的增加,高有机质土壤中新出现的放线菌种类呈先增后减趋势. 处理3～24 min,GA与HA培养基上新出现放线菌种类占放线菌总种类的比例为62.5%～85.7%与66.7%～83.3%,新出现了原小单孢菌属、链轮丝菌属等稀有放线菌属;链霉菌类群也有明显变化.低有机质土壤具有类似趋势.3)微波处理对可培养放线菌中拮抗性放线菌株数占供试放线菌总株数的比例也有明显影响.微波处理6、9和15 min,拮抗性放线菌株数所占比例分别较对照提高66.7%、66.7%和83.3%,其中新出现的拮抗性放线菌株数分别占拮抗性放线菌总株数的70.0%, 90.0%和81.8%.     

土壤放线菌分离方法的初步研究

本文对土壤放线菌的一种新分离技术进行了研究。结果表明,用加有氟哌酸、青霉素、制霉菌素的培养基,可以选择性地从土壤中分离放线菌,０．０５％ＳＤＳ（十二烷基碘酸钠）在４０℃自理土壤样品,可以促进放线菌的孢子萌发而获得更多的放线菌株,进一步提高放线菌的分离效果。