Peculiarities of extracellular polymeric substances produced by Antarctic bacteria and their possible applications

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Abstract
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) possess diversified ecological role, including the cell adhesion to surfaces and cell protection, and are highly involved in the interactions between the bacterial cells and the bulk environments. Interestingly, EPSs find valuable applications in the industrial field, due to their chemical versatility. In this context, Antarctic bacteria have not been given the attention they deserve as producers of EPS molecules and a very limited insight into their EPS production capabilities and biotechnological potential is available in literature to date. Antarctic EPS-producing bacteria are mainly psychrophiles deriving from the marine environments (generally sea ice and seawater) around the continent, whereas a unique thermophilic bacterium, namely Parageobacillus thermantarcticus strain M1, was isolated from geothermal soil of the crater of Mount Melbourne. This mini-review is aimed at showcasing the current knowledge on EPS-producing Antarctic bacteria and the chemical peculiarities of produced EPSs, highlighting their biotechnological potential and the yet unexplored treasure they represent for biodiscovery. Key Points • The exploration of Antarctic bacteria as EPS producers is still scarcely developed • EPSs are produced by psychrophilic and thermophilic Antarctic bacteria • The presence of mannose and glucose is frequently observed in Antarctic EPSs • To date, marine matrices have been mainly used to isolate Antarctic EPS-producers
Funding Information
  • PNRA (PNRA16_00020)

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