Identification and characterization of bioactive compounds generated by microorganisms is important in the process of drug discovery. Upon characterization, these compounds can be synthesized chemically, various analogs generated and the pathways affected by these compounds can be understood. The purpose of this research is to isolate, characterize and identify bioactive compounds obtained from two bacteria samples from the Great Salt Plains in Oklahoma. These bacteria are especially of interest because of their ability to adapt to the hyper saline environment of the Great Salt Plains. Previous studies have shown that in adapting to these environments, bacteria are able to produce substances that have biological activity. An initial batch of supernatants from about 192 bacteria was sampled. Of these, only 2 showed significant effect on cell viability. These supernatants, obtained from Sediminibacillus halophilus and a presently unidentified sample were further tested to characterize their activity. Further analyses were carried out to characterize the supernatants- testing cytotoxic effect in different types of cells- E. coli, S. cerevisiae and HEK293 cells, finding the approximate size of the compounds, and testing the effect of various enzymes- Proteinase K, DNase and RNase- on their activity. We found that the compound decreases the viability of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as shown by the decreased viability of E. coli, S. cerevisiae and HEK293 cells upon treatment. Sizing the compound showed that the bioactive component is above 30kDa. Proteinase K and DNase also did not have any effect on the compounds’ activity. From these initial tests, it can be inferred that after separation, the bioactive components do not contain proteins, and they are affecting a pathway/process that is conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes.

Characterization of bioactive compounds obtained from halophilic bacteria in the Oklahoma salt plains

251st National Meeting (2016)

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