Abstract
Cultivable halophilic microorganisms were isolated and identified from saline and alkaline-sodic soils: Cuatro Cienegas, Sayula and San Marcos lakes. Physicochemical characteristics of soils were determined to understand the relationship between those and the microorganisms isolated. The Cuatro Cienegas soils had a neutral pH, EC of 2.3-8 dS cm(-1), classified as moderately saline. Whereas, the soils from Sayula and San Marcos lakes, had an alkaline pH, EC 15 to 65 dS m(-1), typical of saline-sodic. We identified 23 cultivable halophilic bacteria using 16s rDNA, being Halobacillus sp., Marinococcus sp., and Alkalibacillus sp. the predominant genus by culture dependent approach. We found a correlation between the soils anion and cation content with the occurrence of different genus of halophilic bacteria in each studied site. Alkalibacillus sp. was predominant in Sayula and San Marcos lakes and was related to the high Na(+) content; while Bacillus sp. and Halobacillus sp. were predominant in Cuatro Cienegas, their occurrence was related to a high content of Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and SO(4) (2-).