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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2008, p. 4867-4876, Vol. 74, No. 15
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00316-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Emulsifying and Metal Ion Binding Activity of a Glycoprotein Exopolymer Produced by Pseudoalteromonas sp. Strain TG12{triangledown}

Tony Gutierrez,1* Tracy Shimmield,2 Cheryl Haidon,2 Kenny Black,3 and David H. Green1

Microbial and Molecular Biology Department,1 Biogeochemistry and Earth Sciences Department,2 Ecology Department, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban PA37 1QA, United Kingdom3

Received 6 February 2008/ Accepted 3 June 2008

In this study, we describe the isolation and characterization of a new exopolymer that exhibits high emulsifying activities against a range of oil substrates and demonstrates a differential capacity to desorb various mono-, di-, and trivalent metal species from marine sediment under nonionic and seawater ionic-strength conditions. This polymer, PE12, was produced by a new isolate, Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain TG12 (accession number EF685033), during growth in a modified Zobell's 2216 medium amended with 1% glucose. Chemical and chromatographic analysis showed it to be a high-molecular-mass (>2,000 kDa) glycoprotein composed of carbohydrate (32.3%) and protein (8.2%). PE12 was notable in that it contained xylose as the major sugar component at unusually high levels (27.7%) not previously reported for a Pseudoalteromonas exopolymer. The polymer was shown to desorb various metal species from marine sediment—a function putatively conferred by its high content of uronic acids (28.7%). Seawater ionic strength (simulated using 0.6 M NaCl), however, caused a significant reduction in PE12's ability to desorb the sediment-adsorbed metals. These results demonstrate the importance of electrolytes, a physical parameter intrinsic of seawater, in influencing the interaction of microbial exopolymers with metal ions. In summary, PE12 may represent a new class of Pseudoalteromonas exopolymer with a potential for use in biotechnological applications as an emulsifying or metal-chelating agent. In addition to the biotechnological potential of these findings, the ecological aspects of this and related bacterial exopolymers in marine environments are also discussed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Microbial and Molecular Biology Department, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban PA37 1QA, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 1631 559 000. Fax: 44 1631 559 001. E-mail: tony.gutierrez{at}sams.ac.uk

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 13 June 2008.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2008, p. 4867-4876, Vol. 74, No. 15
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00316-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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