Microbiota bacteriana cultivable del erizo de mar Hesperocidaris asteriscus, habitante de la zona mesofótica superior del cañón submarino de los Arcos, Puerto Vallarta

Marine organisms, such as sea urchins, harbor symbiotic bacteria that produce metabolites with antibiotic activity. Thesemetabolites can confer to the host a defense mechanism against pathogens, contributing to its ecological suitability, and can also beused for biotechnological purposes.Considering the above, the objective of this work was to isolate the culturable microbiota of the sea urchin Hesperocidarisasteriscus and analyze it in search of strains with antibiotic activity. The bacteria were isolated in four isolation media and theantibiotic activity was evaluated by growth inhibition in three pathogens: S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. As a result, 29strains with different colonial morphology were recovered and nine of these strains presented bioactivity against at least onepathogen. Four of these bioactive strains presented morphological attributes typical of the phylum Actinobacteria. It is concludedthat bioactive bacteria could contribute to the defense of the sea urchin, by being able to inhibit the growth of its pathogens.However, it is important to continue this line of research towards the search and characterization of these metabolites, since theycould be used for the treatment of pathogenic bacteria resistant to currently known drugs.