Isolation and characterization of naphthalene-degrading bacteria from sediments of Cadiz area (SW Spain)

Salicylate or Phthalate: The Main Intermediates in the Bacterial Degradation of Naphthalene

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely presented in the environment and pose a serious environmental threat due to their toxicity. Among PAHs, naphthalene is the simplest compound. Nevertheless, due to its high toxicity and presence in the waste of chemical and oil processing industries, naphthalene is one of the most critical pollutants. Similar to other PAHs, naphthalene is released into the environment via the incomplete combustion of organic compounds, pyrolysis, oil spills, oil processing, household waste disposal, and use of fumigants and deodorants. One of the main ways to detoxify such compounds in the natural environment is through their microbial degradation. For the first time, the pathway of naphthalene degradation was investigated in pseudomonades. The salicylate was found to be a key intermediate. For some time, this pathway was considered the main, if not the only one, in the bacterial destruction of naphthalene. However, later, data emerged which indicated that gram-positive bacteria in the overwhelming majority of cases are not capable of the formation/destruction of salicylate. The obtained data made it possible to reveal that protocatechoate, phthalate, and cinnamic acids are predominant intermediates in the destruction of naphthalene by rhodococci. Pathways of naphthalene degradation, the key enzymes, and genetic regulation are the main subjects of the present review, representing an attempt to summarize the current knowledge about the mechanism of the microbial degradation of PAHs. Modern molecular methods are also discussed in the context of the development of “omics” approaches, namely genomic, metabolomic, and proteomic, used as tools for studying the mechanisms of microbial biodegradation. Lastly, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of the formation of specific ecosystems is also provided.

Implications in studies of environmental risk assessments: Does culture medium influence the results of toxicity tests of marine bacteria?

Two marine bacterial populations (Roseobacter sp. and Pseudomonas litoralis) were exposed to different concentrations of zinc (300, 625, 1250, 2000, 2500 and 5000 mg L^-1) and cadmium (75, 250, 340, 500 and 1000 mg L^-1) using two culture media (full nutrient Marine Broth 2216 "MB" and 1:10 (vol/vol) dilution with seawater of Marine Broth 2216 "MB_SW"), in order to assess population responses depending on the culture medium and also potential adverse effects associated with these two metals. Different responses were found depending on the culture medium (Bacterial abundance (cells·mL^-1), growth rates (μ, hours^-1), and production of Extracellular Polysaccharides Substances (EPS) (μg glucose·cells^-1). Results showed negative effects in both strains after the exposure to Zn treatments. Both strains showed highest metal sensitivity at low concentrations using both culture media. However, different results were found when exposing the bacterial populations to Cd treatments depending on the culture medium. Highest toxicity was observed using MB at low levels of Cd concentrations, whereas MB_SW showed toxicity to bacteria at higher concentrations of Cd. Results not only showed adverse effects on Roseobacter sp. and Pseudomonas litoralis associated with the concentration of Zn and Cd, but also confirm that depending on the culture medium results can differ. This work suggests MB_SW as an adequate culture medium to study metal toxicity bioassays in order to predict realistic effects on marine bacterial populations.

Isolation and characterization of PAH-degrading bacteria from the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

Contaminated sediment samples were collected from the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia for isolation of pyrene- and phenanthrene-degrading bacteria by enrichment method. Four isolates were morphologically characterized as Gram-negative rod strains and 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed the isolates as closely related to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. citronellolis, Ochrobactrum intermedium and Cupriavidus taiwanensis. Degradation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by the latter three strains was investigated in liquid cultures. Results of concentration reduction analyzed with gas chromatography show that P. citronellolis_LB was efficient in removing phenanthrene, degrading 94% of 100ppm in 15days while O. intermedium_BC1 was more efficient in pyrene-removal, degrading 62% in 2weeks. Furthermore, bacterial growth assessment using optical density and population counts revealed the latter as more suitable for microbial growth analysis in PAH-containing cultures. In conclusion, the isolated bacterial strains could be further developed for efficient use in biodegradation of PAH.

An integrated (electro- and bio-oxidation) approach for remediation of industrial wastewater containing azo-dyes: Understanding the degradation mechanism and toxicity assessment

A hybrid approach for the remediation of recalcitrant dye wastewater is proposed. The chlorine-mediated electrochemical oxidation of real textile effluents and synthetic samples (using Ti/IrO2-RuO2-TiO2 anodes), lead to discoloration by 92% and 89%, respectively, in 100min, without significant mineralization. The remediation was obtained through biodegradation, after removing the residual bio-toxic active chlorine species via sunlight exposition. Results show that the electrochemical discoloration enhances the effluent biodegradability with about 90% COD removal employing acclimatized naphthalene-degrading bacterial consortia, within 144h. Based on results obtained through FT-IR and GC-MS, it is likely that azo group stripping and oxidative cleavage of dyes occur due to the nucleophilic attack of active chlorine species during electro-oxidation. This leads to generation of aromatic intermediates which are further desulfonated, deaminated or oxidized only at their functional groups. These aromatic intermediates were mineralized into simpler organic acids and aldehydes by bacterial consortia. Phyto-toxicity trials on Vigna radiata confirmed the toxic nature of the untreated dye solutions. An increase in root and shoot development was observed with the electrochemically treated solutions, the same was higher in case of bio-treated solutions. Overall, obtained results confirm the capability of the proposed hybrid oxidation scheme for the remediation of textile wastewater.

CO2 leaking from sub-seabed storage: Responses of two marine bacteria strains

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in stable geological locations is one of the options to mitigate the negative effects of global warming produced by the increase in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. A CO2 leak is one of the risks associated with this strategy. Marine bacteria attached to the sediment may be affected by an acidification event. Responses of two marine strains (Roseobacter sp. CECT 7117 and Pseudomonas litoralis CECT 7670) were assessed under different scenarios using a range of pH values (7.8, 7, 6.5, 6, and 5.5) to mimic a CO2 leak. A CO2 injection system was used to simulate an escape from a stable sub-seabed. Growth rate (μ), cell number, inhibition of Relative Inhibitory Effect (RI CO2) and inhibited population were analysed as endpoints. P. litoralis showed more sensitivity to high CO2 concentrations than Roseobacter sp. Our results highlight the diversity and resistance in marine bacteria and their capacity to adapt under a stressful CO2 leakage.

Enrichment and identification of naphthalene-degrading bacteria from the Persian Gulf

Naphthalene is a ubiquitous pollutant of the marine environment, and naphthalene biodegradation has been receiving constant scientific consideration. For cleanup of aromatic contaminated sites, bioremediation methods are considered as economical and safe approaches for the marine environment. The aims of this research are isolation and characterization of naphthalene-degrading bacteria from some marine samples of the Persian Gulf. Fifty four naphthalene-degrading bacteria were isolated from marine samples (sediment and seawater) that are enriched in ONR7a medium with naphthalene as the only carbon source. Some screening tests such as growth at high concentration of naphthalene, bioemulsifier production and surface hydrophobicity were done to select the best and prevalent strains for naphthalene degradation. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding for 16S rRNA shows that these isolated strains belong to these genera: Shewanella, Salegentibacter, Halomonas, Marinobacter, Oceanicola, Idiomarina and Thalassospira. These strains can degrade half of the percentage of naphthalene in 10days of incubation. This research is the first report on isolation of these genera from the Persian Gulf as naphthalene-degrader.

Diversity of hydrocarbon-degrading Klebsiella strains isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated estuaries

AIMS

To investigate the diversity and the catabolic capacity of oil-degrading Klebsiella strains isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments in Santos-São Vicente estuary systems in Brazil.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Klebsiella strains obtained from the estuary were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and BOX-PCR patterns, testing their catabolic capacity to degrade toluene, xylene, naphthalene and nonane, and identifying the catabolic genes present in the oil-degrading strains. Results show that Klebsiella strains were widespread in the estuary. Twenty-one isolates from the Klebsiella genus were obtained; 14 had unique BOX patterns and were further investigated. Among four distinct catabolic genes tested (todC1, ndoB, xylE and alkB1), only the todC1 gene could be amplified in two Klebsiella strains. The biodegradation assay showed that most of the strains had the ability to degrade all of the tested hydrocarbons; however, the strains displayed different efficiencies.

CONCLUSIONS

The oil-degrading Klebsiella isolates obtained from the estuary were closely related to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella ornithinolytica. The isolates demonstrated a substantial degree of catabolic plasticity for hydrocarbon degradation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The results of this study show that several strains from the Klebsiella genus are able to degrade diverse hydrocarbon compounds. These findings indicate that Klebsiella spp. can be an important part of the oil-degrading microbial community in estuarine areas exposed to sewage.