UV-B resistant extremotrophic and extremophilic bacteria isolated from Salinas Lake, a high Andean wetland of Peru

Quispe-Choque K.G.; Valderrama-Valencia Y.M.R.E. · Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad (2024) · DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2024.95.5312

Resumen

The Salinas Lagoon is a high Andean saline wetland located in the Arequipa region of southern Peru. Currently, it is subject to anthropogenic activities such as salt extraction, adventure tourism and climate change. Despite being an environment of biological importance, the diversity of microbial populations has been little explored. The location of this environment in a region with extreme UV index, altitude above 4,000 m and other adverse factors highlight this environment as a potential for the bioprospection of extremotroph and extremotrofile microorganisms. In the present study, we isolated native bacterial strains from water samples of the Salinas Lagoon and performed phenotypic characterization at the morphological and physiological levels by means of tolerance assays to NaCl, temperature, pH and UV-B radiation. We reported halotolerant, psychrotolerant, moderate alkalophilic and UV-B radiation resistant strains and one obligate alkalophilic strain. Identification was performed by molecular analysis based on 16S rDNA. The genera identified were Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium, Dietzia, Bacillus and Planococcus. To our knowledge, the present work is the first report on extremophilic and extremotrophic microorganisms present in the Salinas Lagoon, promoting a new approach to survey this environment.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa