Bioremediation and microbial metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene

Summary The growing release of organic contaminants into the environment due to industrial processes has inevitably increased the incidence of their exposure to humans which often results in negative health effects. Microorganisms are also increasingly exposed to the pollutants, yet their diverse me...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular microbiology 2018-08, Vol.109 (4), p.433-444
Main Authors: Ostrem Loss, Erin M., Yu, Jae‐Hyuk
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benzo(a)pyrene
Biodegradation
Bioremediation
Community involvement
Contaminants
Degradation
Exposure
Fungi
Gene expression
Inhalation
Metabolic networks
Metabolism
Microbial activity
Microorganisms
Organic contaminants
Pollutants
Pyrene
Respiration
Skin
Spores
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Summary:Summary The growing release of organic contaminants into the environment due to industrial processes has inevitably increased the incidence of their exposure to humans which often results in negative health effects. Microorganisms are also increasingly exposed to the pollutants, yet their diverse metabolic capabilities enable them to survive toxic exposure making these degradation mechanisms important to understand. Fungi are the most abundant microorganisms in the environment, yet less has been studied to understand their ability to degrade contaminants than in bacteria. This includes specific enzyme production and the genetic regulation which guides metabolic networks. This review intends to compare what is known about bacterial and fungal degradation of toxic compounds using benzo(a)pyrene as a relevant example. Most research is done in the context of using fungi for bioremediation, however, we intend to also point out how fungal metabolism may impact human health in other ways including through their participation in microbial communities in the human gut and skin and through inhalation of fungal spores. In this review, we compare and contrast molecular and enzymatic mechanisms used by bacteria and fungi to degrade toxic compounds. By specifically focusing on degradation of the problematic contaminant benzo(a)pyrene, we highlight how metabolic strategies differ between these microbial kingdoms, as well as point out deficits in our current body of knowledge.
ISSN:0950-382X
1365-2958
DOI:10.1111/mmi.14062