Effect of sodium chloride salinity on free amino acids of soil streptomycetes

Actinomycetes were isolated from a number of saline and non-saline salheya soils. From these isolates two species of streptomycetes were selected to assess their physiological response to salinity. In one species the intracellular concentrations of the free amino acid pool increased in response to salt stress, the neutral amino acids alanine and gamma -aminobutyrate accumulated as salinity increased in contrast to the accumulation of free amino acids, having been found in the another one. Accumulation of free amino acids by streptomycetes under salt stress suggests a response typical of procaryotes although the specific amino acids involved differ from those associated with other gram positive bacteria.