Isolation of marine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading Cycloclasticus strains from the Gulf of Mexico and comparison of their PAH degradation ability with that of Puget Sound Cycloclasticus strains

Authors

Allison D. Geiselbrecht, Floyd and Snider Inc.
Brian P. Hedlund, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Mary A. Tichi, University of Washington, Seattle
James T. Staley, University of Washington, SeattleFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1998

Publication Title

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Volume

64

Issue

12

First page number:

4703

Last page number:

4710

Abstract

Phenanthrene- and naphthalene-degrading bacteria were isolated from four offshore and nearshore locations in the Gulf of Mexico by using a modified most-probable-number technique. The concentrations of these bacteria ranged from 10² to 10⁶cells per ml of wet surficial sediment in mildly contaminated and noncontaminated sediments. A total of 23 strains of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria were obtained. Based on partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequences and phenotypic characteristics, these 23 strains are members of the genus Cycloclasticus. Three representatives were chosen for a complete phylogenetic analysis, which confirmed the close relationship of these isolates to type strain Cycloclasticus pugetii PS-1, which was isolated from Puget Sound. PAH substrate utilization tests which included high-molecular-weight PAHs revealed that these isolates had similar, broad substrate ranges which included naphthalene, substituted naphthalenes, phenanthrene, biphenyl, anthracene, acenaphthene, and fluorene. Degradation of pyrene and fluoranthene occurred only when the strains were incubated with phenanthrene. Two distinct partial PAH dioxygenase iron sulfur protein (ISP) gene sequences were PCR amplified from Puget Sound and Gulf of Mexico Cycloclasticus strains. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences revealed that one ISP type is related to the bph type of ISP sequences, while the other ISP type is related to the nah type of ISP sequences. The predicted ISP amino acid sequences for the Gulf of Mexico and Puget Sound strains are identical, which supports the hypothesis that these geographically separated isolates are closely related phylogentically.Cycloclasticus species appear to be numerically important and widespread PAH-degrading bacteria in both Puget Sound and the Gulf of Mexico.

Keywords

Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Biogeography; Cyclic Crude and Intermediate Manufacturing; Cycloclasticus; Genetic aspects; Genomics; Gulf of Mexico; Industrial Naphthalene; Naphthalene; Marine bacteria; Organic Chemicals; Organic compounds; Petrochemical Manufacturing; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Science & research

Disciplines

Bacteriology | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Genetics and Genomics | Life Sciences | Marine Biology | Microbiology

Language

English

Repository Citation

Geiselbrecht, A. D., Hedlund, B. P., Tichi, M. A., Staley, J. T. (1998). Isolation of marine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading Cycloclasticus strains from the Gulf of Mexico and comparison of their PAH degradation ability with that of Puget Sound Cycloclasticus strains. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64(12), 4703-4710.