PHYSIOLOGICAL-BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF HETEROTROPHIC BACTERIA, ISOLATED FROM THERMAL WATERS AND MICROBIAL MATS OF THE KULDUR DEPOSIT
The chemical composition of the thermal waters of the Kuldur deposit was studied. It was shown that the thermal waters of various wells were characterized by high temperature, low salinity, alkaline conditions and the predominance of sodium, silicon, chlorine, fluorine, lithium, arsenic and strontium in the composition of the water. Pure cultures of heterotrophic microorganisms were isolated from water and bacterial mats and some of their physiological and biochemical properties and potential extracellular enzymatic activity were studied. It was shown that the strains were represented by rods of various lengths, as well as cocci, spirochetes and vibrios. Among the isolated strains, mainly gram-negative, motionless, catalase-positive, and asporogenic bacilli predominated. Isolated heterotrophic bacteria most of all possessed an enzymatic type of metabolism. By type of nutrition, most strains belonged to chemorganotrophs. The studied strains were able to utilize a fairly wide range of sugars and alcohols: glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose, galactose, mannose, raffinose, as well as mannitol and sorbitol. The isolated cultures were capable of growth over a wide range of pH 5.0-13.0 and temperature (up to 60 °C). Most strains of heterotrophic microorganisms showed a high potential amylolytic, proteolytic, lipolytic and lower lecithinase enzymatic activity. The cultivation temperature had a noticeable effect on the potential enzymatic activity of isolated strains: the activity was higher at an incubation temperature of 50 °С. wide range of growth. Highlighted cultures of microorganisms are promising for use in the field of biotechnology.