Compatible solutes in new moderately halophilic isolates

Abstract Using high performance liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, the compatible solutes of some moderately halophilic bacteria were studied. The following accepted species of moderately halophilic bacteria were included: Volcaniella eurihalina and Deleya salina among Gram-negative rods, and Salinicoccus roseus and Salinicoccus hispanicus among Gram-positive cocci. Besides these strains we have also screened other new isolates, including Marinomonas species and Gram-positive cocci and rods. The tetrahydropyrimidine carboxylic acid 'ectoine' was found to be the main compatible solute in the Gram-negative strains tested when these were grown in glucose-mineral medium. In addition, betaine was accumulated from complex media containing yeast extract. Among the Gram-positive strains investigated, the solutes proline (bacillus 30, Salinicoccus ) and hydroxyectoine (coccus 28) also played an important role, while alanine, glucose, glutamate, glutamine and trehalose occurred as minor components. We also detected two recently described compatible solutes: Nδ -acetylornithine and a homologous compound, Nε -acetyllysine. Representatives of distinct phenotypic groups of Gram-positive cocci and rods were clearly distinguished by their solute pattern.