Surfactants, both synthetic and natural, are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Organisms from extreme environments are well-adapted to the harsh conditions and represent an exciting avenue of discovery of naturally occurring biosurfactants, yet microorganisms from cold environments have been largely overlooked for their biotechnological potential as biosurfactant producers. In this study, four cold-adapted bacterial isolates from Antarctica are investigated for their ability to produce biosurfactants. Here we report on the physical properties and chemical structure of biosurfactants from the genera Janthinobacterium, Psychrobacter, and Serratia. These organisms were able to grow on diesel, motor oil, and crude oil at 4 °C. Putative identification showed the presence of sophorolipids and rhamnolipids. Emulsion index test (E₂₄) activity ranged from 36.4–66.7%. Oil displacement tests were comparable to 0.1–1.0% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions. Data presented herein are the first report of organisms of the genus Janthinobacterium to produce biosurfactants and their metabolic capabilities to degrade diverse petroleum hydrocarbons. The organisms’ ability to produce biosurfactants and grow on different hydrocarbons as their sole carbon and energy source at low temperatures (4 °C) makes them suitable candidates for the exploration of hydrocarbon bioremediation in low-temperature environments.

中文翻译：

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Polar Microbes的低温生物表面活性剂。

合成的和天然的表面活性剂被广泛用于工业应用中，包括石油烃的降解。来自极端环境的生物很好地适应了恶劣条件，并代表了发现天然存在的生物表面活性剂的令人兴奋的途径，然而来自寒冷环境的微生物由于其作为生物表面活性剂生产者的生物技术潜力而被广泛忽视。在这项研究中，研究了南极洲的四种冷适应细菌分离物产生生物表面活性剂的能力。在这里，我们报告了来自Janthinobacterium，Psychrobacter和Serratia属的生物表面活性剂的物理性质和化学结构。。这些生物能够在4°C的柴油，机油和原油上生长。推定的鉴定表明存在槐糖脂和鼠李糖脂。乳化指数测试（E ₂₄）的活性为36.4–66.7％。驱油测试与0.1–1.0％十二烷基硫酸钠（SDS）溶液相当。本文提供的数据是Janthinobacter属生物生产生物表面活性剂及其降解多种石油烃的代谢能力的首次报道。生物体能够生产生物表面活性剂并在不同的碳氢化合物上生长，因为它们是低温（4°C）的唯一碳和能源，因此它们很适合在低温环境中进行碳氢化合物生物修复的探索。