Correlation between resistance to UV irradiation and the taxonomic position of microorganisms

Abstract

UV irradiation is known to cause harmful effects on microorganisms. As a result, microorganisms have developed protection against exposure to harmful UV irradiation. We suggested that resistance to UV might be a specific characteristic of certain genera of microorganisms. So, the aim of the work is to assess whether there is a correlation between UV resistance and the taxonomic position of microorganisms or it is the adaptation of cells to extreme conditions. The study involved 67 strains from extreme ecosystems (phytocenoses and оrnithogenic soil of the Antarctic, hypersaline ecosystems of the Crimea and the Dead Sea, the lake Baikal). The sequence of 16S rRNA genes, phylogenetic analysis and UV resistance were performed according to standard procedures. Phylogenetic analysis revealed live representatives of the following genera: Pseudomonas, Serratia, Rheinheimera, Aeromonas, Buttiauxella, Brevundimonas, Sphingomonas, Sphingopyxis, Dermacoccus, Frondihabitans, Microbacterium, Rhodococcus, Janthinobacterium, Arthrobacter, Micrococcus, Kocuria, Sphingobacterium, Flavobacterium, Chryseobacterium, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Paenibacillus, and Sporosarcina. Gram-positive bacteria were significantly more resistant to UV irradiation (LD99.99 750–1400 J/m2). Gram-negative had lower resistance (LD99.99 35–150 J/m2). Most pigmented strains were more resistant to UV than non-pigmented ones. According to the values of lethal doses of UV irradiation we suggest that investigated microorganisms have effective mechanisms to repair DNA damages. Resistance of microorganisms to UV was not found to be related to the ecological features of their habitat. Thus, there is a correlation between the resistance of microorganisms to UV irradiation and their taxonomic position, which allows considering UV resistance as a diagnostic feature at the genus level.