Microbiological and biotechnological investigation of bottom sediments from deep boreholes in Lake Baikal and analysis of water from thermal springs (Zmeinyi, Goryachenskii)

Microorganisms isolated from sediments of Lake Baikal and nearby thermal sp rings (Zmeinyi and Goryachenskii) have been rested as producers of restrict ion enzymes. The production has been detected in 20% of the investigated st rains. Three strains are of particular practical interest. Two of them are thermophilic producers of novel enzymes, and the restriction endonuclease f rom the third one demonstrates an unusual sensitivity to dam methylation of the recognition site. It has been shown that the content of viable microorganisms varied througho ut the sediments.