Actinomycetes

1. 1) HISTORY
2) CLASSIFICATION
3) INTRODUCTION
4) MORPHOLOGY
5) ROLE OF ACTINOMYCETES
6) ISOLATION
7) DIFFERENT SOURCES AND MEDIA FOR
ISOLATION
8) APPLICATIONS OF ENZYMES
9) APPLICATIONS OF ACTINOMYCETES
10)NITROGEN FIXING BACTERIA – FRANKIA
11)DECOMPOSER ACTINOMYCETES

2. History of Actinomycetes
•1940 - no one had really though much about the bacteria actinomycetes.
That is until Selman Waksman discovered streptomycin-the first
treatment for tuberculosis that actually worked.
•1945 - many different types of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, have
been discovered and have been used in many different
antibiotics.
•1940 - Selman Abraham Waksman with the help of Boyd Woodruff,
discovered the antibiotic actinomycin. Actinomycin is mostly
made up of the bacteria actinomycetes.
•While this preliminary antibiotic failed, it led to other varities such
as Actinomycin A, B, C, and D.
•Several of these new varities were found to have strong anti-cancer
effects.
•After about 50 years of genetic research on actinomycetes,
actinomycetes now are used in most of the antibiotics used to
treat infections and drugs that are anti-cancer, anti-parasitic, and
immunosuppressant.

3. Actinomycetes: A group of gram-positive bacteria (order
Actinomycetales) that produce various bioactive agents including
antibiotics, enzymes, and vitamins. Streptomyces belong to this
bacterial order.
Classification :
•Actinomycetes belonging to the order of Actinomycetales are
grouped under four families viz., Mycobacteriaceae,
Actinomycetaceae, Streptomycetaceae and Actinoplanaceae.
•Actinomycetous genera which are agriculturally and industrially
important are present in only two families of Actinomycetaceae
and Strepotmycetaceae.
•In the order of abundance in soils, the common genera of
actinomycetes are Streptomyces (nearly 70%), Nocardia and
Micromonospora.

4. •Actinomyctes are branching Gram-positive bacilli.
•The cell wall and the internal structures are typical of bacteria rather
than fungi.
•Some are aerobic and others are anaerobic.
•All are slow growing
•Non-motile
•Non-sporing
•Non-capsulated
•Arranged in chains or branching filaments
•Most are soil saprophytes or normal human commensals
Important genera include
1) Actinomyces
2) Nocardia
3) Actinomadura
4) Streptomyces
5) Thermophilic
INTRODUCTION

5. ACTINOMYCETES MORPHOLOGY

6. FUNCTIONS / ROLE OF ACTINOMYCETES:
1) Degrade/decompose all sorts of organic substances like cellulose,
polysaccharides, protein fats, organic-acids etc.
2) Organic residues / substances added soil are first attacked by bacteria and
fungi and later by actinomycetes, because they are slow in activity and
growth than bacteria and fungi.
3) They decompose / degrade the more resistant and indecomposable organic
substance/matter and produce a number of dark black to brown pigments
which contribute to the dark colour of soil humus.
4) They are also responsible for subsequent further decomposition of humus
(resistant material) in soil.
5) They are responsible for earthy/musty odor / smell of freshly ploughed
soils.
6) Many genera species and strains (eg. Streptomyces if actinomycetes
produce/synthesize number of antibiotics like Streptomycin, Terramycin,
Aureomycin etc.
7) One of the species of actinomycetes Streptomyces scabies causes disease
"Potato scab" in potato.

7. Procedure: Various steps for the Isolation and characterization of actinomycetes
Collection of samples from different habitats
Enrichment of samples using different treatments
Sample were culture on different media
Isolate by Morphological, Physiological,
Biochemical and Molecular methods
Strains of actinomycetes isolated

8. Morphological
methods:
(a)Macroscopic
methods
•Cover slip culture
(b)Microscopic
methods
•Slide culture
method
Physiological
methods:
• Range of pH
for growth
• Optimum
temperature
for growth
•Salinity
Biochemical methods:
•Catalase production
•Urease production
•Hydrogen sulfide
production
•Nitrate reduction
•Starch hydrolysis
•Gelatin liquefaction
•Methyl red test
•Vogues-proskauer test
•Indole production
•Citrate utilization
•Casein hydrolysis
Molecular
methods:
•RFLP using any
one of genomic
DNA
•RAPD
•PFGE
•ARDRA
•Use of genus
specific primers
Strains of actinomycetes isolated

9. SOURCE MEDIA
FROM SOIL:
Humus Layer of Forest Soil (a)Humic acid-vitamin agar
(b)Starch casein nitrate agar(SCS) (c)Hair
hydrolysate vitamin agar(HHVA)
(d)Bennet‟s agar(BA)
Corn Field, Cow Barn yard, Forest a)Arginine-glycerol salt(AGS)medium
(b)Chitin medium
(c)Modified Benedict‟s medium
(d)Soybean meal-glucose medium
Lake Soil Chitin agar
Soil Coal-vitamin agar
Marine Soil Starch casein nitrate(SCN) agar medium
FROM WATER:
Stream Sediments & Lake muds (a)Chitin agar media
(b)M3 agar medium
(c)Benett‟s medium
Marine Sediments a)Starch-casein agar
(b)Asparagine agar
(c)Glycerol-glycine agar
Different sources and media for isolation of actinomycetes

10. Applications of enzymes produced from actinomycetes.

12. 1. While nitrogen makes up about 79% of our atmosphere, plants can not
use nitrogen in its gaseous state.
2. It first must be fixed or combined into either Ammonia, NH3 or
Nitrate, NO3. The natural nitrogen cycle relies on nitrogen fixing
bacteria like those found in the Frankia family of actinobacteria, to
supply the fixed nitrogen. Fixed nitrogen is often the limiting factor for
growth.
3. About 15% of the world's nitrogen fixed naturally is from symbiotic
relationships between various species of the Frankia family of
actinobacteria and their host plants.
4. The plants that form symbiotic relationships with Frankia are called
actinorhizal plants. The Frankia is able to provide most or all of the host
plant's nitrogen needs.
5. These nitrogen fixing bacteria and their host plants are often pioneer
species on young nitrogen deficient and disturbed soils such as
moraines, volcanic flows and sand dunes. They help create a reservoir
of nitrogen rich soil that the next wave of plants can benefit from.
The Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria – Frankia

13. Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria – Frankia
Frankia Nodules

14. 1. Breaking down the cellulose and lignin found in wood and
paper and the chitlin found in the exoskeletons of insects.
2. Breakdown of the materials makes nutrients once again
available to plants. The "earthy" smell of freshly turned soil is
caused by actinomycetes at work.
3. While some species of actinobacteria are thermophiles, loving
the heat of an active hot compost.
4. During the long cool curing stage of compost they extend their
hyphae like threads throughout the compost. They are whitish
grey cobweb like threads.
5. Actinobacteria and fungi to develop in compost stop turning
your pile during the curing phase.
Decomposer Actinomycetes