Authors: L Laiz A Z Miller V Jurado E Akatova S SanchezMoral J M Gonzalez A Dionísio M F Macedo C SaizJimenez
Publish Date: 2008/10/25
Volume: 96, Issue: 1, Pages: 71-79
Abstract
In the last few years the microbial colonisation of mural paintings in ancient monuments has been attracting the attention of microbiologists and conservators The genus Rubrobacter is commonly found in biodeteriorated monuments where it has been reported to cause rosy discolouration However to date only three species of this genus have been isolated all from thermophilic environments In this paper we studied three monuments the Servilia and Postumio tombs in the Roman Necropolis of Carmona Spain and Vilar de Frades church Portugal in search of Rubrobacter strains In all cases biodeterioration and the formation of efflorescences were observed and five Rubrobacter strains were isolated These isolates showed different physiology and migration in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis suggesting they might represent new species within this genus The isolates reproduced some biodeterioration processes in the laboratory and revealed their biomediation in crystal formationEA VJ and LL acknowledge financial support from a Marie Curie Action MESTCT2004513915 an I3P CSICESF postdoctoral contract and project 200740/011 respectively This research was funded by the Consejería de Innovación Ciencia y Empresa Junta de Andalucía project P06RNM02318 and by CSICFCT project 2007PT0041
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