Resumo

RAMIREZ, N; SANDOVAL, AH  e  SERRANO, JA. The halophilic bacteria and their biotechnological applications. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2004, vol.24, n.1-2, pp.12-23. ISSN 1315-2556.

The authors present an extensive review on the halophilic bacterias and their biotechnological applications, along with some aspects related to their ecological behaviour in hypersaline environments. They also examined their characteristics as extremophilic microorganisms, including their several important applications and potential use in the industry and biotechnology. Due to their low nutritional requirements and tolerance to high saline concentrations, these bacteria are easy to be cultivated and the laboratory risks contamination is minimal. These facts allow them to be used as alternative cellular factories instead of Escherichia coli in the production of recombining proteins. They are also useful in the production of enzymes, polymers, compatible solutes, residues biodegradation process, as well as, fermented food production. Finally, this work includes aspects related to halophilic actinomycetes microbiology, discussed in previous studies carried out by the authors in strains of halophilic actinomycetes isolated in hypersaline mediums in  Mexico and  Spain.

Palavras-chave : Bacterias; halophilic; actinomycetes; biotechnology.