Microbiological and biotechnological investigation of bottom sediments from deep boreholes in Lake Baikal and analysis of water from thermal springs (Zmeinyi, Goryachenskii)

Microorganisms isolated from sediments of Lake Baikal and nearby thermal springs (Zmeinyi and Goryachenskii) have been rested as producers of restriction enzymes. The production has been detected in 20% of the investigated strains. Three strains are of particular practical interest. Two of them are thermophilic producers of novel enzymes, and the restriction endonuclease from the third one demonstrates an unusual sensitivity to dam methylation of the recognition site. It has been shown that the content of viable microorganisms varied throughout the sediments.