Such microorganisms have adapted their vital cellular processes to thrive in cold environments [4]. They make essential CB-839 mw contributions to nutrient recycling and organic matter mineralization, via a special class of extracellular enzymes known as “cold-adapted” or “cold-active” enzymes [5]. Because these

enzymes have a higher catalytic efficiency than their mesophilic counterparts at temperatures below 20°C and display unusual substrate specificities, they are attractive candidates for industrial processes requiring high enzymatic activity at low temperatures. Cold-adapted enzymes include amylase, cellulase, invertase, inulinase, protease, lipase and isomerase, which are used in the food, biofuel KPT 330 and detergent industries [6]. Largely

because of their potential in biotechnological applications, cold-adapted microorganisms have become increasingly studied in recent years, yet remain poorly understood. Of the microorganisms most isolated and studied from cold environments, the majority are bacteria, while yeasts constitute a minor proportion [1]. Antarctica is considered the coldest and driest terrestrial habitat on Earth. It is covered almost totally with ice and snow, and receives high levels of solar radiation [7]. The Sub-Antarctic region, including the Shetland South Archipelago, has warmer temperatures, the soils close to the sea are free of snow/ice and receive significant quantities of organic material from marine animals; however, they are subject to continuous and rapid free-thaw cycles, which are stressful and selleck chemical restrictive to life [8]. Although the first report of Antarctic yeasts was

published 50 years ago [9] current reports enough have focused on cold-tolerant Bacteria and Archaea, with yeasts receiving less attention. Yeasts dwelling in Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic maritime and terrestrial habitats belong mainly to the Cryptococcus, Mrakia, Candida and Rhodotorula genera [10–12]. In a recent work, 43 % of Antarctic yeast isolates were assigned to undescribed species [13], reflecting the lack of knowledge regarding cultivable yeasts that colonize the Antarctic soils. Yet these organisms constitute a valuable resource for ecological and applied studies. This work describes the isolation of yeasts from terrestrial habitats of King George Island, the major island of the Shetland South archipelago. The yeast isolates were characterized physiologically and identified at the molecular level using the D1/D2 and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions of rDNA. In addition, the ability of the yeasts to degrade simple or complex carbon sources was evaluated by analyzing their extracellular hydrolytic enzyme activities. Characterizing these enzyme activities may enhance the potential of the yeasts in industrial applications.