Plant Growth-Promoting Characteristics of Antarctic Endophytic Bacteria

The work is focused on studying bacteria associated with vascular plants in Antarctic region. Climate changes affecting the Antarctic Peninsula favor the successful colonization of ice-free lands by two Antarctic vascular plants (Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis). Bacteria isolated from D. antarctica collected during the 25th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition (January-April 2020) along the Western part of the Antarctic Peninsula were studied for plant growth-promoting characteristics (nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, cyclic lipopeptide production, exoprotease production, motility and carbohydrate utilization). The heterotrophy of bacterial isolated from D. antarctica and the presence of a wide range of saccharolytic enzymes for the utilization of mono- and disaccharides in studied cultures were shown. This may indicate the plasticity of metabolism and the high adaptation potential of microorganisms associated with D. antarctica. PGPT of studied bacteria were mostly presented by nitrogen-fixing ability and cyclic lipopeptides synthesis.