fiereflikoçhisar Lake is the largest salt lake in central Turkey. This lake is a major source of solar salt for food, hide and other industries locally. Due to the economic importance of salt obtained from this lake, a microbial survey has been conducted. Six salt and three brine samples were obtained from the lake for physico-chemical and microbiological analyses. | Turk J Biol 27 (2003) 7-22 © TÜB‹TAK Extremely Halophilic Bacterial Communities in fiereflikoçhisar Salt Lake in Turkey Meral B‹RB‹R*, Cenk SESAL Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, 81040 ‹stanbul - TURKEY Received: Abstract: fiereflikoçhisar Lake is the largest salt lake in central Turkey. This lake is a major source of solar salt for food, hide and other industries locally. Due to the economic importance of salt obtained from this lake, a microbial survey has been conducted. Six salt and three brine samples were obtained from the lake for physico-chemical and microbiological analyses. Physico-chemical analysis showed that the salts and brines contain sufficient ions and hardness to support extremely halophilic bacteria. The salt collected from the lake contained 104-106 colony-forming units of extremely halophilic bacteria per gram and brine taken from the lake contained 103-105 colony-forming units of extremely halophilic bacteria per ml. Colonial pigmentation from these samples ranged from bloodred to pale-pink. A total of 82 extremely halophilic aerobic strains were isolated from the salt and brine samples, 32 of which were randomly selected strains examined in greater detail. While brick-red colonies outnumbered all other colony pigmentations, the lake does appear to support a diverse bacterial community. Most colonies were 1 to 2 mm in diameter, circular, convex, glistening and entire. Optimum growth occurred at 25% (w/v) NaCl at 40 ºC and a pH of . Seventeen strains required at least 10% (w/v) NaCl for growth. Most cells of the strains were pleomorphic and stained Gram-negative. All strains were motile. Some of these strains produced industrially important enzymes such as lipases, gelatinases, cellulases and β-galactosidases. All of the strains hydrolysed Tween 80. Twenty-three strains produced gelatinase enzymes. Cellulase enzymes were produced by 14 of these strains. Only one strain showed positive .
