STARVATION-SURVIVAL OF DEEP SUBSURFACE ISOLATES

Six deep, subsurface endolithic isolates were subjected to starvation conditions for up to 100 days in artificial pore water, formulated to mimic in situ geochemical conditions in the nearly saturated rock. Most isolates demonstrated the typical starvation-survival curve for chemoheterotrophic bacteria, and all became miniaturized during starvation. Starvation indices were developed to compare changes in viable cell counts between isolates. Two isolates retained higher viability after 100 days of starvation-survival. High survival correlated with sustained respiration, measured by iodonitrotetrazolium-formazan production, during starvation. In all but one case, isolates plated on two nutritionally dilute media, metal-containing and antibiotic-containing media, showed similar viable counts.