Poly-beta-hydroxyalkanoate exert a protective effect against carbon starvation and frozen conditions in Sphingopyxis chilensis.

Several bacterial species have developed physiological response to avoid the cellular damage when are exposed to carbon starvation or frozen stress. For example survival to inanition has been related to endogenous substrates consumptions. The aim of this study was to evaluate if poly-beta-hydroxylkanoates (PHA) consumption enable Sphingopyxis chilensis S37 to survive under carbon starvation or frozen condition. Bacterial cells were grown in R(2)A broth for 48 h, and suspended in mineral saline solutions, without carbon source. The cellular suspension was incubated for 48 or 120 h at 30 degrees C, followed by a frozen period of 48 h at -20 degrees C, and viable bacterial cells were evaluated by the microdrop method. The proportions of cells with PHA were also determined by flow cytometry using Nile Red dye. The results indicate that S. chilensis were able to survive under carbon starvation and frozen conditions. Simultaneously, a decrease in the number of cells containing PHA, and a decrease in the biovolume of the cells (c.a 2.5 times) were also observed under these conditions. The results suggest that consumptions of PHA contributed to the surviving of S. chilensis under frozen stress.