refinery sludge deposition site: presence of nahH and alkJ genes and crude oil biodegradation ability of bacterial isolates

• Published in: Biotechnology letters 2008-12, Vol.30 (12), p.2105-2110
• Main Authors: Arvanitis, Nikolaos, Katsifas, Efstathios A, Chalkou, Kalliopi I, Meintanis, Christos, Karagouni, Amalia D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acinetobacter; Acinetobacter - enzymology; Acinetobacter - genetics; Acinetobacter - isolation & purification; Alcohol Oxidoreductases - genetics; Alcohol Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Applied Microbiology; Aromatic hydrocarbons; Arthrobacter; Arthrobacter - enzymology; Arthrobacter - genetics; Arthrobacter - isolation & purification; Bacillus; Bacillus - enzymology; Bacillus - genetics; Bacillus - isolation & purification; Bacteria; Bacteria, Aerobic - enzymology; Bacteria, Aerobic - genetics; Bacteria, Aerobic - isolation & purification; Biochemistry; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase - genetics; Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase - metabolism; Crude oil; Deposition; DNA, Ribosomal; Environmental Pollution; Enzymes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Hydrocarbons; Hydrocarbons, Aromatic - metabolism; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Oil pollution; Original Research Paper; Petroleum; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pseudomonas; Pseudomonas - enzymology; Pseudomonas - genetics; Pseudomonas - isolation & purification; Refineries; Rhodococcus; Rhodococcus - enzymology; Rhodococcus - genetics; Rhodococcus - isolation & purification; Sludge; Soil contamination; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants - metabolism
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-008-9816-0

204 bacterial isolates from four Greek refinery sludge deposition sites were investigated for the presence of nahH and alkJ genes encoding key enzymes of both aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon degradation pathways by PCR and DNA hybridisation. Members of Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Rhodococcus and Arthrobacter play important role in bioremediation processes in sandy/loam soil contaminated with oil and nahH and alkJ genes were present in the 73% of the isolates. Consortia of bacterial isolates that were used for biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil using liquid cultures exhibited rates from 35% to 48% within 10 days of incubation.