D. R. Аbdulinа, G. O. Iutynska, L. M. Purish

Danylo Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
e-mail: adara@ukr.net

Received: 14 June 2019; Accepted: 15 May 2020

The growth of technogenic (man-caused) load on the environment leads to the disturbance of natural ecotopes and is a stress factor for the widespread sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Changes of SRB fatty acid composition are considered to be not only one of the mechanisms of adaptation and protection from negative stress but also one of the chemotaxonomic features that can be used as the indicator of bacteria genus and its presence in natural ecotopes. The aim of the work was to determine the  fatty acid composition of sulfate-reducing bacteria  strains isolated from different technogenic ecotopes. The spectrum of 17 fatty acids was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The predominance of saturated C14:0, C15:0, C16:0 and C18:0 and the presence of unsaturated C16:1 and C18:1 fatty acids in SRB lipids were demonstrated. Correlation analysis showed that SRB isolated from the same technogenic locations were characterized by substantial similarity of fatty acid profiles despite belonging to different genera. Thus, fatty acid compositions of SRB strains Desulfovibrio sp. K1 and K2 isolated from soils near gas main-pipeline had correlation index r = 0.94 and that Desulfovibrio sp. TC2, Desulfotomaculum sp. TC3 and Desulfomicrobium sp. TC4 isolated from city heat system ecotope had correlation index r = 0.97-0.99. The obtained data on increased saturation degree of SRB fatty acids and decreased membrane fluidity indexes could be used for assessing the degree of SRB adaptation to the influence of man-caused loading as a stress factor.