National Research Council (CNR-ISP), Institute of Polar Sciences, Spianata S. Raineri 86, 98122, Messina, Italy.
National Research Council (CNR-ICB), Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 Apr;104(7):2923-2934. doi: 10.1007/s00253-020-10448-8. Epub 2020 Feb 19.
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) possess diversified ecological role, including the cell adhesion to surfaces and cell protection, and are highly involved in the interactions between the bacterial cells and the bulk environments. Interestingly, EPSs find valuable applications in the industrial field, due to their chemical versatility. In this context, Antarctic bacteria have not been given the attention they deserve as producers of EPS molecules and a very limited insight into their EPS production capabilities and biotechnological potential is available in literature to date. Antarctic EPS-producing bacteria are mainly psychrophiles deriving from the marine environments (generally sea ice and seawater) around the continent, whereas a unique thermophilic bacterium, namely Parageobacillus thermantarcticus strain M1, was isolated from geothermal soil of the crater of Mount Melbourne. This mini-review is aimed at showcasing the current knowledge on EPS-producing Antarctic bacteria and the chemical peculiarities of produced EPSs, highlighting their biotechnological potential and the yet unexplored treasure they represent for biodiscovery.
胞外聚合物（EPS）具有多样化的生态作用，包括细胞表面附着和细胞保护，并且高度参与细菌细胞与环境之间的相互作用。有趣的是，由于其化学多功能性，EPS 在工业领域具有有价值的应用。在这种情况下，南极细菌作为 EPS 分子的生产者并没有得到应有的重视，迄今为止，有关其 EPS 生产能力和生物技术潜力的文献中只有非常有限的了解。南极产 EPS 的细菌主要是来自大陆周围海洋环境（一般是海冰和海水）的嗜冷菌，而一种独特的嗜热菌，即来自墨尔本山火山口地热土壤的 Parageobacillus thermantarcticus 菌株 M1，则被分离出来。本综述旨在展示目前对产 EPS 的南极细菌的认识，以及所产生的 EPS 的化学特性，突出其生物技术潜力和它们作为生物发现的未被探索的宝藏。
