Effect of hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the activity and synthesis of chitinases of Antarctic Ocean bacteria

The formation of chitinases by psychrophilic and psychrotrophic marine Antarctic bacteria and the activity of these extracellular enzymes were investigated under simulated deep-sea conditions. The formation of the chitinases was affected by hydrostatic pressure of 400 bars. However, the extent of pressure inhibition differed with the bacterial strains tested and was considerably less with the extreme psychrophilic bacteria isolated from sediments of greater depth. Growth of these psychrophilic strains had a moderately barophilic character at 400 bars, whereas growth of the psychrotrophic strains was clearly restricted under simulated deep-sea conditions. With regard to the activity of the extracellular chitinases of various bacterial strains, a relatively uniform response was found. All chitinases were highly barotolerant at near neutral pH and were active up to 1000 bars. Low temperatures reduced their activity but not their barotolerance. A low pH of 5.1 diminished the barotolerance of some chitinases. The results suggest that the indigenous deep-sea bacteria are capable of decomposing chitin settled to or produced in the depth of the Antarctic Ocean.