Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 119 |
| Journal | Polar biology |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Nov 2025 |
Abstract
Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) act as natural biopolymers that bind soil particles together, promoting structural stability and creating protective microenvironments for microbial survival. This study aimed to isolate and characterize potential EPS-producing bacteria from the active layer of two degraded permafrost soils with different hydrological landscapes, and from non-degraded permafrost soil. A total of 64 bacterial isolates were obtained, representing three phyla: Firmicutes, Actinomycetota, and Pseudomonadota. EPS production was assessed by determining the polysaccharide content measured as glucose equivalent, and 26 bacterial isolates were identified as potential EPS producers. Among the bacterial isolates, Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum, Frigoribacterium faeni, Streptomyces strains, Neobacillus bataviensis, and Mesobacillus subterraneus exhibited high polysaccharide concentrations. Uronic acids were present in EPS produced by C. oceanosedimentum and N. bataviensis, while amino sugars were identified in EPS from isolates of Bacillus, Streptomyces, Luteimonas, and Phyllobacterium. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, the relative proportion of taxa associated with EPS-producing bacterial isolates such as Bacillus, Peribacillus, and Streptomyces was higher in the dry site, while Neobacillus, Pseudarthrobacter, and Microbacterium were more abundant in the wet and intact sites. This study suggests that EPS production with diverse carbohydrate compositions primarily promotes structural stability in degrading permafrost soils by binding soil particles together and forming protective microenvironments. Additionally, EPS may contribute to nutrient retention and microbial protection under fluctuating environmental conditions, complementing their primary role in soil stability.
Keywords
- Bacteria, Degraded permafrost soil, Exopolysaccharides (EPS), Isolation, Sequencing, Soil Aggregates
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
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In: Polar biology, Vol. 48, No. 4, 119, 24.11.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Stick together
T2 - isolation and characterization of exopolysaccharides producing psychrotolerant bacteria from Alaskan permafrost soils
AU - Waqas, Muhammad
AU - Zelenková, Simona
AU - Vogel, Cordula
AU - Rühmann, Broder
AU - Varsadiya, Milan
AU - Liebmann, Patrick
AU - Wang, Haitao
AU - Shibistova, Olga
AU - Urich, Tim
AU - Guggenberger, Georg
AU - Bárta, Jiří
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.
PY - 2025/11/24
Y1 - 2025/11/24
N2 - Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) act as natural biopolymers that bind soil particles together, promoting structural stability and creating protective microenvironments for microbial survival. This study aimed to isolate and characterize potential EPS-producing bacteria from the active layer of two degraded permafrost soils with different hydrological landscapes, and from non-degraded permafrost soil. A total of 64 bacterial isolates were obtained, representing three phyla: Firmicutes, Actinomycetota, and Pseudomonadota. EPS production was assessed by determining the polysaccharide content measured as glucose equivalent, and 26 bacterial isolates were identified as potential EPS producers. Among the bacterial isolates, Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum, Frigoribacterium faeni, Streptomyces strains, Neobacillus bataviensis, and Mesobacillus subterraneus exhibited high polysaccharide concentrations. Uronic acids were present in EPS produced by C. oceanosedimentum and N. bataviensis, while amino sugars were identified in EPS from isolates of Bacillus, Streptomyces, Luteimonas, and Phyllobacterium. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, the relative proportion of taxa associated with EPS-producing bacterial isolates such as Bacillus, Peribacillus, and Streptomyces was higher in the dry site, while Neobacillus, Pseudarthrobacter, and Microbacterium were more abundant in the wet and intact sites. This study suggests that EPS production with diverse carbohydrate compositions primarily promotes structural stability in degrading permafrost soils by binding soil particles together and forming protective microenvironments. Additionally, EPS may contribute to nutrient retention and microbial protection under fluctuating environmental conditions, complementing their primary role in soil stability.
AB - Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) act as natural biopolymers that bind soil particles together, promoting structural stability and creating protective microenvironments for microbial survival. This study aimed to isolate and characterize potential EPS-producing bacteria from the active layer of two degraded permafrost soils with different hydrological landscapes, and from non-degraded permafrost soil. A total of 64 bacterial isolates were obtained, representing three phyla: Firmicutes, Actinomycetota, and Pseudomonadota. EPS production was assessed by determining the polysaccharide content measured as glucose equivalent, and 26 bacterial isolates were identified as potential EPS producers. Among the bacterial isolates, Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum, Frigoribacterium faeni, Streptomyces strains, Neobacillus bataviensis, and Mesobacillus subterraneus exhibited high polysaccharide concentrations. Uronic acids were present in EPS produced by C. oceanosedimentum and N. bataviensis, while amino sugars were identified in EPS from isolates of Bacillus, Streptomyces, Luteimonas, and Phyllobacterium. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, the relative proportion of taxa associated with EPS-producing bacterial isolates such as Bacillus, Peribacillus, and Streptomyces was higher in the dry site, while Neobacillus, Pseudarthrobacter, and Microbacterium were more abundant in the wet and intact sites. This study suggests that EPS production with diverse carbohydrate compositions primarily promotes structural stability in degrading permafrost soils by binding soil particles together and forming protective microenvironments. Additionally, EPS may contribute to nutrient retention and microbial protection under fluctuating environmental conditions, complementing their primary role in soil stability.
KW - Bacteria
KW - Degraded permafrost soil
KW - Exopolysaccharides (EPS)
KW - Isolation
KW - Sequencing
KW - Soil Aggregates
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105022691777&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00300-025-03435-0
DO - 10.1007/s00300-025-03435-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105022691777
VL - 48
JO - Polar biology
JF - Polar biology
SN - 0722-4060
IS - 4
M1 - 119
ER -