This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Isaksen, M. F. Articles by Jorgensen, B. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Isaksen, M. F. Articles by Jorgensen, B. B. Agricola Articles by Isaksen, M. F. Articles by Jorgensen, B. B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Feb 1996, 408-414, Vol 62, No. 2
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Adaptation of Psychrophilic and Psychrotrophic Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria to Permanently Cold Marine Environments

MF Isaksen and BB Jorgensen
Department of Microbial Ecology, Institute of Biological Science, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark, and Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, D-28359 Bremen, Germany

The potential for sulfate reduction at low temperatures was examined in two different cold marine sediments, Mariager Fjord (Denmark), which is permanently cold (3 to 6(deg)C) but surrounded by seasonally warmer environments, and the Weddell Sea (Antarctica), which is permanently below 0(deg)C. The rates of sulfate reduction were measured by the (sup35)SO(inf4)(sup2-) tracer technique at different experimental temperatures in sediment slurries. In sediment slurries from Mariager Fjord, sulfate reduction showed a mesophilic temperature response which was comparable to that of other temperate environments. In sediment slurries from Antarctica, the metabolic activity of psychrotrophic bacteria was observed with a respiration optimum at 18 to 19(deg)C during short-term incubations. However, over a 1-week incubation, the highest respiration rate was observed at 12.5(deg)C. Growth of the bacterial population at the optimal growth temperature could be an explanation for the low temperature optimum of the measured sulfate reduction. The potential for sulfate reduction was highest at temperatures well above the in situ temperature in all experiments. The results from sediment incubations were compared with those obtained from pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria by using the psychrotrophic strain ltk10 and the mesophilic strain ak30. The psychrotrophic strain reduced sulfate optimally at 28(deg)C in short-term incubations, even though it could not grow at temperatures above 24(deg)C. Furthermore, this strain showed its highest growth yield between 0 and 12(deg)C. In contrast, the mesophilic strain ak30 respired and grew optimally and showed its highest growth yield at 30 to 35(deg)C.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Yi, H., Chun, J. (2006). Flavobacterium weaverense sp. nov. and Flavobacterium segetis sp. nov., novel psychrophiles isolated from the Antarctic. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56: 1239-1244 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yi, H., Oh, H.-M., Lee, J.-H., Kim, S.-J., Chun, J. (2005). Flavobacterium antarcticum sp. nov., a novel psychrotolerant bacterium isolated from the Antarctic. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 55: 637-641 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yi, H., Yoon, H. I., Chun, J. (2005). Sejongia antarctica gen. nov., sp. nov. and Sejongia jeonii sp. nov., isolated from the Antarctic. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 55: 409-416 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bakermans, C., Nealson, K. H. (2004). Relationship of Critical Temperature to Macromolecular Synthesis and Growth Yield in Psychrobacter cryopegella. J. Bacteriol. 186: 2340-2345 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Price, P. B., Sowers, T. (2004). Temperature dependence of metabolic rates for microbial growth, maintenance, and survival. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 4631-4636 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bowman, J. P., McCammon, S. A., Gibson, J. A. E., Robertson, L., Nichols, P. D. (2003). Prokaryotic Metabolic Activity and Community Structure in Antarctic Continental Shelf Sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 2448-2462 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Elsgaard, L. (2000). Ethylene Removal at Low Temperatures under Biofilter and Batch Conditions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3878-3882 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Knoblauch, C., Jørgensen, B. B., Harder, J. (1999). Community Size and Metabolic Rates of Psychrophilic Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Arctic Marine Sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 4230-4233 [Abstract] [Full Text]