Response to Salt Stress of the Halotolerant Filamentous Fungus Penicillium chrysogenum P13

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the study of extremophilic microorganisms, which include halophiles and halotolerants. These microorganisms, able to survive and thrive optimally in a wide range of environmental extremes, are polyextremophiles. In this context, one of the main reasons for studying them is to understand their adaptative mechanisms to stress caused by extreme living conditions. In this paper, a fungal strain <i>Penicillium chrysogenum</i> P13, isolated from saline soils around Pomorie Lake, Bulgaria, was used. The effect of elevated concentrations of sodium chloride on the growth and morphology as well as on the physiology of the model strain was investigated. <i>P. chrysogenum</i> P13 demonstrated high tolerance to NaCl, showing remarkable growth in liquid and agar media. In order to establish the relationship between salt- and oxidative stress, changes in the cell biomarkers of oxidative stress, such as oxidatively damaged proteins, lipid peroxidation, and levels of reserve carbohydrates of the studied strain were evaluated. The involvement of antioxidant enzyme defense in the adaptive strategy of the halotolerant strain against elevated NaCl concentrations was investigated.