Hydrolase-producing bacteria isolated from rice crop soils: Phenotypic and molecular characterization

Abstract

The aim of this research was to isolate and characterize bacteria from rice crop soils to determine their prospective biotechnological potential. Therefore, seven morphologically different bacteria were isolated and their physiological characteristics, antimicrobial sensitivity and ability to degrade different substrates were determined. The bacteria grew optimally between 20 and 37 °C,at pH between 5.0 and 10.0. Regarding antimicrobial sensitivity profiles; one, three, one, one, one and one strain showed resistance to 11, 12, 8, 7 and 4 antimicrobials, respectively. Molecular identification was performed by amplification and sequencingof the 16S ribosomal genes, obtaining similarity with the genera Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Comamonasand Aeromonas. The bacteria, according to their hydrolytic activity, formed five groups: three degraded gelatin, skim milk, casein, olive oil, starch, cellulose, pectin, and tributyrin; one, olive oil and tributyrin; one, gelatin, skim milk, olive oil and tributyrin; one, gelatin, olive oil, starch, tributyrin; and one, gelatin, skim milk, casein, olive oil and tributyrin. The isolated bacteria show great potential as inoculants for the enrichment and bioremediation of agricultural soils.