PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE EXCRETED BY ADEEP-SEA HYDROTHERMAL VENT BACTERIUM ISOLATED FROM THE POLYCHAETE ANNELID ALVINELLA-POMPEJANA
P. Vincent et al., PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE EXCRETED BY ADEEP-SEA HYDROTHERMAL VENT BACTERIUM ISOLATED FROM THE POLYCHAETE ANNELID ALVINELLA-POMPEJANA, Applied and environmental microbiology, 60(11), 1994, pp. 4134-4141
The heterotrophic and mesophilic marine bacterium HYD-1545 was isolate
d on a metal-amended medium from the dorsal integument of the hydrothe
rmal vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana. This strain, which can be as
signed to the genus Alteromonas on the basis of its G+C content and ph
enotypical features, produced large amounts of an acidic polysaccharid
e in batch cultures. The polysaccharide was excreted during the statio
nary phase of growth and contained glucose, galactose, glucuronic acid
, galacturonic acid, and 4,6-O-(1-carboxyethilidene)-galactose as majo
r components. This polysaccharide was a polyelectrolyte, and the visco
sity of its solutions depended on the ionic strength. The decrease in
viscosity with increasing NaCl concentrations and the effect of Ca2+ i
n decreasing the viscosity at low Ca2+ concentrations support a model
in which the polysaccharide carries anionic groups. However, an unusua
l behavior was observed at higher concentrations and could be related
to intermolecular interactions involving Ca2+ ions.