Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol (2020) 172: 53–84
DOI: 10.1007/10_2018_84
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Published online: 23 February 2019
Isolation and Cultivation of Alkaliphiles
Vadim V. Kevbrin
Contents
1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 55
2 Habitats . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 56
2.1 The Sites of Serpentinization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
2.2 Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
2.3 Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
2.4 A Near-Bottom Alkaline Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
2.5 Man-Made Alkaline Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
2.6 Microbially Mediated Alkalinization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2.7 Alkaliphilic Eukaryotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3 Isolation, Media, and Cultivation . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 68
4 Getting the Right pH and Na
+ Concentration Range for Alkaliphiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
5 Chromatographic Assays Employed in the Study of Alkaliphiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
6 Concluding Remarks . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 76
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Abstract Alkaliphilic microorganisms are ubiquitous and inhabit various econiches
on Earth. Alkaline environments suitable for alkaliphilic microbial communities
may be created by certain geological processes or human activities. Moreover, a
significant contribution to the emergence of alkaline conditions may be due to the
activity of neutralophilic microorganisms through certain reactions, which explains
the widespread distribution of alkaliphiles. Alkaliphilic microorganisms are part of
extremophiles and become interesting and useful in environmental and industrial
microbiology. With increasing knowledge of alkaliphiles, we greatly increase their
biotechnological and industrial application potential. New microorganisms from
V. V. Kevbrin (*)
Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
e-mail: kevbrin@inmi.ru
DOI: 10.1007/10_2018_84
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Published online: 23 February 2019
Isolation and Cultivation of Alkaliphiles
Vadim V. Kevbrin
Contents
1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 55
2 Habitats . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 56
2.1 The Sites of Serpentinization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
2.2 Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
2.3 Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
2.4 A Near-Bottom Alkaline Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
2.5 Man-Made Alkaline Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
2.6 Microbially Mediated Alkalinization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2.7 Alkaliphilic Eukaryotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3 Isolation, Media, and Cultivation . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 68
4 Getting the Right pH and Na
+ Concentration Range for Alkaliphiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
5 Chromatographic Assays Employed in the Study of Alkaliphiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
6 Concluding Remarks . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 76
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Abstract Alkaliphilic microorganisms are ubiquitous and inhabit various econiches
on Earth. Alkaline environments suitable for alkaliphilic microbial communities
may be created by certain geological processes or human activities. Moreover, a
significant contribution to the emergence of alkaline conditions may be due to the
activity of neutralophilic microorganisms through certain reactions, which explains
the widespread distribution of alkaliphiles. Alkaliphilic microorganisms are part of
extremophiles and become interesting and useful in environmental and industrial
microbiology. With increasing knowledge of alkaliphiles, we greatly increase their
biotechnological and industrial application potential. New microorganisms from
V. V. Kevbrin (*)
Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
e-mail: kevbrin@inmi.ru