Evaluation of Chitinolytic and Antibiotic Activity of Streptomyces avidinii Ina 01467 and Micromonospora aurantiaca INA 01468

The evaluation of antibiotic and chitinolytic activity in actinomycetes isolated from soddy-podzolic soil (Albic Retisol (Loamic)) was carried out in Moscow region (56°07′15″ N, 37°30′54″ E). Isolated strains were classified as Streptomyces avidinii INA 01467 and Micromonospora aurantiaca INA 01468 on the basis of cultural and morphological features and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Evaluation of the antibiotic activity of isolated actinomycete cultures showed that the strains exhibit both antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria and antifungal activity against the collection strains of fungi Sac. cerevisiae INA 01042, C. albicans ATCC 14053, and F. oxysporum VKPM F-148. The ability to synthesize antifungal compounds increased when growing on a medium with chitin by the Streptomyces avidinii INA 01467 strain, including the phytopathogenic Fusarium oxysporum VKPM F-148 strain. Using the Real-Time PCR (Real-Time-PCR) method, the presence of functional genes shitA , responsible for the synthesis of group A chitinase enzymes, was found in the studied bacterial strains of Streptomyces and Micromonospora . The largest amount of the gene was found in the strain Streptomyces avidinii INA 01467, when growing on chitin, and reaches about 15 × 10 3 copies per mL. The results demonstrated the presence of chitinase and antibiotic activity in the studied strains, including the activity against phytopathogenic fungi, and this allows using these strains in plant protection technologies and soil bioremediation.