Characterisation of actinomycetes community from the heavy metals-polluted soil

Abstract

The isolation of actinomycetes was performed from soil samples influenced by car-traffic. The acute toxicity of soil leaches was tested by the help of Microtox® bioassay testing system which uses freeze dried luminescent bacteria Photobacterium phosphoreum as the test organisms. The content of heavy metals in biomass of soil microorganisms and in whole soil samples was determinate. 115 strains of actinomycetes were isolated and their total numbers in soil samples were estimated. The acute toxicity of soil influenced the total numbers of actinomycetes. By the help of DNA-DNA reassociation procedure the generic diversity of bacteria was estimated. The identification and differentiation of streptomycetes from the total isolated actinomycetes was made using specific morphological criteria and the gas chromatography-fatty acid methyl ester (GC-FAME) analysis. FAME method is adequate only for differentiation of members of genus Streptomyces from other actinomycetes because of their characteristical profile of fatty acids.