“…A temperature tolerance test was performed at 18, 22 (room temperature), 30 and 37 u C, while pH tolerance was assessed at pH 3-10 at intervals of 1.0 pH unit on VY/2 agar. The growth response to different temperatures and antibiotic resistance at 50 mg ml 21 were tested on buffered VY/2 agar (Garcia et al, 2009a) supplemented with vitamin solutions (Shimkets et al, 2006). The antibiotics used were gentamicin (AppliChem), thiostrepton (Calbiochem), rifampicin (Fluka), ampicillin, carbenicillin, hygromycin B and kanamycin (all from Roth), apramycin, bacitracin, sodium cephalothin, fusidic acid, kasugamycin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, polymxin, spectinomycin, tetracycline and trimetoprim (all from Sigma) and streptomycin (Synopharm), all filter-sterilized and added to autoclaved medium that had cooled to 50 u C. Cellulose and chitin degradation was assessed on water, VY/2 and buffered-VY/ 2 agars overlaid with sterile filter paper (2.061.0 cm) and a drop of cellulose or chitin powder solution (both from Sigma) on separate sections of the Petri dish.…”