Molecular and physiological characterisation of psychrotrophic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria isolated from Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)

A set of 21 Antarctic marine bacteria isolated from the Ross Sea and able to utilise diesel fuel as the sole carbon and energy source was characterised. Isolates were analysed by amplified 16S rDNA restriction analysis using the enzyme AluI, resulting in two different groups corresponding to differe...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:European Journal of Soil Biology
Main Authors: Pini F., Grossi C., Nereo S., Michaud L., Lo Giudice A., Bruni V., Baldi F., Fani R.
Other Authors: Pini, F., Grossi, C., Nereo, S., Michaud, L., Lo Giudice, A., Bruni, V., Baldi, F., Fani, R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
16S rDNA
alk gene
ARDRA
Biosurfactant
n-alkane
RAPD
Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Ross Sea
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11586/289524
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2007.03.012
Description
Summary:A set of 21 Antarctic marine bacteria isolated from the Ross Sea and able to utilise diesel fuel as the sole carbon and energy source was characterised. Isolates were analysed by amplified 16S rDNA restriction analysis using the enzyme AluI, resulting in two different groups corresponding to different bacterial species. These species were assigned to the genera Rhodococcus and Alcaligenes, on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing. This low degree of inter-specific biodiversity was parallel to a low intra-specific biodiversity, as shown by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA analysis. Then, a 550-bp DNA fragment coding for the inner region of alkane mono-oxygenase was PCR-amplified from the genome of each strain. The phylogenetic analysis of the sequence of the putative AlkB protein coded for by the amplified DNA fragment revealed that these alkB genes were very likely inherited by horizontal gene transfer. Lastly, the analysis of the biodegradation ability of four strains revealed two different strategies of hydrocarbon uptake, mediated either by bio-surfactants and peculiar of Rhodococcus isolates, or by membrane modifications and shown by Alcaligenes isolates. In order to understand the interrelationships between hydrocarbon-degrading isolates, the dynamics of two strains, belonging to Rhodococcus and Alcaligenes, grown together in a co-culture was also followed over a seventeen days period. © 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Similar Items