First record of the endophytic bacteria of Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv. from two distant localities of the maritime Antarctica

Abstract

The vascular plant Deschampsia antarctica samples were collected for endophytic bacteria study from two regions in the maritime Antarctic 400 km distant from one another: Point Thomas oasis (King George Island) and Argentine Islands (Galindez Island). The endophytes were isolated from roots and leaves of D. antarctica, cultivated and identified by using a partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene served as a phylomarker. Endophyte isolates from two sites of Galindez Island were represented mainly by Pseudomonas species and by Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The vast majority of the isolates had specific for endophytes cellulase and pectinase activities, however, Bacillus spp. did not express both activities. A group-specific PCR screening at the four sites of Galindez Island and two sites of King George Island, indicated Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Cytophaga-Flavobacteria and Actinobacteria. Notably, the number of endophytic bacteria taxa was significantly larger in leaves than in roots of plants.