eCite Digital Repository
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation of phytoplankton-associated Arenibacter spp. and description of Arenibacter algicola sp. nov., an aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium
Citation
Gutierrez, T and Rhodes, G and Mishamandani, S and Berry, D and Whitman, WB and Nichols, PD and Semple, KT and Aitken, MD, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation of phytoplankton-associated Arenibacter spp. and description of Arenibacter algicola sp. nov., an aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 80, (2) pp. 618-628. ISSN 0099-2240 (2014) [Refereed Article]
![]() | PDF 1,000Kb |
Copyright Statement
© 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
Pyrosequencing of the bacterial community associated with a cosmopolitan marine diatom during enrichment with crude oil revealed several Arenibacter phylotypes, of which one (OTU-202) had become significantly enriched by the oil. Since members of the genus Arenibacter have not been previously shown to degrade hydrocarbons, we attempted to isolate a representative strain of this genus in order to directly investigate its hydrocarbon-degrading potential. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing, one isolate (designated strain TG409T) exhibited>99% sequence identity to three type strains of this genus. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain TG409T represents a novel species in the genus Arenibacter, for which the name Arenibacter algicola sp. nov. is proposed. We reveal for the first time that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation is a shared phenotype among members of this genus, indicating that it could be used as a taxonomic marker for this genus. Kinetic data forP AH mineralization rates showed that naphthalene was preferred to phenanthrene, and its mineralization was significantly enhanced in the presence of glass wool (a surrogate for diatom cell surfaces). During enrichment on hydrocarbons, strain TG409T emulsified n-tetradecane and crude oil, and cells were found to be preferentially attached to oil droplets, indicating an ability by the strain to express cell surface amphiphilic substances (biosurfactants or bioemulsifiers) as a possible strategy to increase the bioavailability of hydrocarbons. This work adds to our growing knowledge on the diversity of bacterial genera in the ocean contributing to the degradation of oil contaminants and of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria found living in association with marine eukaryotic phytoplankton.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | 16s rrna sequencing, bacterial community, bacterial genus, bio-surfactants, oil contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), representative strain, sequence identity |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Marine biodiversity |
UTAS Author: | Nichols, PD (Dr Peter Nichols) |
ID Code: | 119615 |
Year Published: | 2014 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 32 |
Deposited By: | Ecology and Biodiversity |
Deposited On: | 2017-08-03 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-16 |
Downloads: | 113 View Download Statistics |
Repository Staff Only: item control page