An enation system for the isolation of Antarctic yeasts inhibited by conventional media

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Microbiology
• Main Author: Vishniac, H. S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1983
• Subjects: Genetics; Molecular Biology; Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; General Medicine; Immunology; Microbiology; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/m83-014; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/m83-014

Yeasts peculiar to the Dry Valleys of Antarctica can be recovered by allowing them to become enate (grow out) from soil particles. The enation system was successful in liquid medium E-1 shaken at 160 rpm in a 10 °C water bath. Samples were spread on a richer medium, 2 MC. This system also allowed the isolation of typical soil yeasts from Colorado soils and of cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, filamentous fungi, and chlorophyta. Marked inhibitory effects of conventional yeast media account for the failure of previous investigators to isolate these Antarctic yeasts. Their abundance remains unknown, since E-1 and 2 MC also have some inhibitory effects.