Prevalence of Thermoactinomyces thalpophilus and T. sacchari strains with biotechnological potential at hot springs and soils from West Anatolia in Turkey

Hot spring sediment and soil samples from West Anatolia in Turkey were investigated for the occurrence of thermophilic Actinomycetes. Isolation was done using Actinomycetes isolation agar (AIA), starch casein agar and glycerol yeast extract agar at 55 °C. Extracellular protease activity of the isolates were screened by using AIA plus 1% casein according to the hydrolysis zones surrounding the colonies. Antimicrobial activities of the isolates were also screened by using streaked plate method against a panel of test bacteria. Identification of the isolates was made by cultural, physiological characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence similarity. Sixty-seven thermophilic Actinomycetes isolates were classified in Thermoactinomyces thalpophilus and T. sacchari species. Among these, 62 isolates (92.5%) were found to be extracellular protease producers and 38 isolates (56.7%) were found active against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Based on these results, we suggest that the thermophilic actinomycetes, which are a part of the biodiversity of the hot springs and soils from West Anatolia in Turkey, are promising sources for novel enzymes and antimicrobial compounds.