Mikrobiol. Z. 2020; 82(1):13-21. Ukrainian.
doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/microbiolj82.01.013

Keratinolytic and α-L-Rhamnosidase Activity of Bacterial Isolates, Isolated from
Gastropod Molluscs Nacella concinna (Nacellidae) − Residents of Antarctic

L.D. Varbanets1, A.E. Berezkina2,3, E.V. Avdiuk1, A.V. Gudzenko1, T.V. Bulygina1,
M.A. Kharkhota1, A.Yu. Utevsky2,3

1Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine
154 Akad. Zabolotny Str., Kyiv, 03143, Ukraine

2National Antarctic Scientific Center, MES of Ukraine
16 Taras Shevchenko Blvd., Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine

3Karazin Kharkiv National University
4 Svobody Sq., Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

Extremophilic microorganisms living in the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic have an enzyme system adapted to cold. Due to high activity and stability at low temperatures, such enzymes can be used in industrial processes, which has economic advantages. Therefore, the screening of microorganisms for the presence of such practically important enzymes as proteolytic and glycolytic is an urgent problem of our time. Goal. Isolate microorganisms from the mollusks Nacella concinna (Strebel, 1908), which are common inhabitants of the Antarctic waters, and identify among them producers of proteolytic and glycolytic enzymes, in particular α-L-rhamnosidases. Methods. The total proteolytic (caseinolytic) activity was determined by the Anson method in Petrova’s modification, the keratinase activity of the products of hydrolysis of keratin-containing raw materials was determined by UV absorption at 280 nm, and the α-Lrhamnosidase activity was determined by the Davis method. Results. It was shown that keratinolytic (Ker) activity was found in culture liquids of 26 (76.4%) from 34 investigated strains. The level of Ker activity varied from 1 to 4 U, both on a medium with maltose and gelatin as a substrate, and on a medium with the addition of feathers, as the main source of carbon and nitrogen. The highest Ker activity (4 U) was observed in culture liquids of strains 8a/1 and 8a/2, which were isolated from one source – seabed sediments of the Skua Creek Strait (Argentine Islands), 10 m deep. As a result of screening of α-L-rhamnosidase producers, among 34 strains the activity was detected (from 0.0025 to 0.11 U/mg protein) only in 8 strains (23.5%), while it was traces activity in the culture liquids of strains 1/9 and 5/4. Maximum α-L-rhamnosidase activity was detected in the culture liquids of strains 3/4 and 3/1 (0.11 and 0.095 U/mg protein, respectively), which were isolated from the washout of mollusk shells from the waters of the island of Uruguay (depth 16 m), as well as strain 1/11 (0.085 U/mg protein) isolated from the soft tissues of the same mollusk. Findings. The producers of proteolytic (keratinolytic) and glycolytic (α-L-rhamnosidases) enzymes were isolated from the mollusks of Nacella concinna, the inhabitants of the Antarctic waters.

Keywords: bacteria − inhabitants of Antarctic mollusks, keratinolytic and α-L-rhamnosidase activity.

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