Resistance to UV radiation of microorganisms isolated from the rock biotopes of the Antarctic region

• Published in: Mikrobiolohichnyĭ zhurnal (Kiev, Ukraine : 1993) Vol. 72; no. 3; p. 8
• Main Authors: Romanovskaia, V A, Tashirev, A B, Shilin, S O, Chernaia, N A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Ukraine 01-05-2010
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Altitude; Antarctic Regions; Exophiala - growth & development; Exophiala - radiation effects; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Methylobacteriaceae - growth & development; Methylobacteriaceae - radiation effects; Radiation Tolerance; Ultraviolet Rays; Antarctic Regions
• ISSN: 1028-0987

Microbiological analysis of terrestrial biotopes of the Antarctic Region has shown, that vertical rocks of the Antarctic islands open for the Sun were characterized by special microcenoses. The wide distribution of pigmented microorganisms in the rock Antarctic samples, a higher frequency of their occurrence, the total number and biologic diversity, than in other Antarctic biotopes, has been demonstrated. For the first time the presence of bacteria and yeast, resistant to high doses of UV radiation on the vertical rocks in the Antarctic Region was shown. The lethal doze of UV radiation for the Antarctic pink pigmented Methylobacterium strains exceeded 200-300 J/m2, for coal-black yeast--500-800 J/m2, for red yeast--1200-1500 J/m2. The distinctions in lethal UV effect against strains of Methylobacterium isolated from the regions with different climate have not been found. Probably, adaptation of the rock microcenosis to extreme factors of the environment proceeds by natural selection of microorganisms, which resistance to this factor is genetically determined.