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Bioprospecting the lat gene in soil samples
Aarohi Dharwadkar1, Vidya Gupta, Aditi Pant
1Division of Biochemical Sciences, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411 008, India.
Journal of Biosciences
|October 1, 2003
Summary
Researchers screened soil samples for the Nocardia lysine aminotransferase (lat) gene. The gene was detected in seven soils, with most positives from the Western Ghats, and nine isolates produced antibiotics.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Actinomycetes are a diverse group of soil bacteria known for producing bioactive compounds.
- The lysine aminotransferase (lat) gene in Nocardia is associated with antibiotic production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of the Nocardia lat gene in soil samples from diverse Indian ecosystems.
- To identify actinomycete isolates possessing the lat gene and assess their antibiotic-producing potential.
Main Methods:
- Soil samples were collected from northeastern forests (Assam) and the Western Ghats (Maharashtra).
- Nocardia lat gene presence was detected using synthesized hybridization probes and primers based on GenBank sequence G1 49355.
- Actinomycete isolates from positive soil samples were cultured and screened for antibiotic production.
Main Results:
- The Nocardia lat gene was detected in 7 out of 20 soil samples.
- Six positive samples originated from the Western Ghats, and one from Assam.
- Eighteen actinomycete isolates harbored the lat gene, with 9 of these isolates demonstrating antibiotic production.
Conclusions:
- The Nocardia lat gene is present in soil actinomycetes from both northeastern and Western Ghats regions of India.
- The presence of the lat gene is not a definitive indicator of antibiotic production, as only half of the positive isolates produced antibiotics.