1. Isolation and characterization of Pseudoalteromonas ruthenica (SBT033), an EPS-producing biofilm bacterium from the seawater intake point of a tropical power station
- Author
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Vayalam P. Venugopalan, Solai Ramatchandirane Prabagaran, Periasamy Saravanan, S. Jayachandran, M. Krishnaveni, and Y. Venkata Nancharaiah
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification ,biology ,Strain (chemistry) ,Physiology ,Biofilm ,General Medicine ,Ribosomal RNA ,biology.organism_classification ,Polysaccharide ,16S ribosomal RNA ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Microbiology ,Pseudoalteromonas ,chemistry ,Seawater ,Bacteria ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Biofilm formation in bacteria is closely linked with production of exopolysaccharides (EPS). This study examined the quantitative variations in EPS production and biofilm-forming ability among bacteria isolated from the seawater intake point of a power station located on the east coast of India. Of the 233 isolates obtained from the intake site, 71 bacterial isolates displayed different colony morphological characteristics. Thirteen isolates that produced wide and thick mucoid colonies were further tested for their ability to attach and form biofilms by microtitre plate assay and confocal microscopy. EPS production among the selected bacterial isolates ranged from 826 to 1838 μg ml−1. Strain SBT033, which produced the maximum amount of EPS also displayed the maximum biofilm-forming ability among the 13 isolates. This strain was selected for further characterization using biochemical and molecular methods. The pale orange-pigmented isolate was a Gram negative, aerobic, short rod-shaped and grew well only in the presence of 2% NaCl. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics the isolate SBT033 is shown to belong to the genus Pseudoalteromonas. Analysis of 16S rRNA of the isolate revealed 99% homology with Pseudoalteromonas ruthenica.
- Published
- 2007