Microbial Degradation of High Molecular Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Emphasis on Pyrene

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a major concern in the environment due to their toxic nature and ubiquitous occurrence. PAHs remain sorbed to soil organics and interact with non-aqueous phases and therefore, become less available for degradation. Several microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae have the capability to degrade soil-sorbed PAHs using different metabolic pathways. The focus of this review is microbial degradation of high molecular weight PAH pyrene by pure and mixed culture, including biological aspects of biosurfactants produced during the process for increasing the bioavailability of soil-sorbed or non-aqueous phase pyrene. High molecular weight PAHs are generally recalcitrant to microbial attack, although some bacteria, fungi, and algae are capable of transforming these compounds by using them as the sole source of carbon and energy. Also, the use of microbial consortium has been found to be more efficient and better from an economic point of view for degradation due to synergistic interactions among microbial species. The review also explains the role of catabolic genes involved in the degradation of pyrene.     

新筛选菌种Delftia sp.XYJ5生物降解苯胺的途径

A promising gram-negative bacterial strain for the biodegradation of aniline as the sole carbon, nitrogen and energy sources was successfully isolated and identified as Delftia sp. XYJ6. The optimal temperature and pH for both the growth of Delftia sp. XYJ6 and the biodegradation of aniline were 30°C and 7.0, respectively. Initial aniline of 2000 mg•L－1 could be completely removed by the strain at 22 h, which showed that Delftia sp. XYJ6 had a strong ability in the biodegradation of aniline. It indicated that aniline was firstly converted to catechol catalyzed by aniline dioxygenase as a first product, which was then further biodegraded to cis,cis-muconic acid catalyzed by the catechol 1,2-dioxygenase of Delftia sp. XYJ6 as a second product. Cis,cis-muconic acid could also be further biodegraded to other small compound again. The pathway for the biodegradation of aniline by Delftia sp. XYJ6 was not previously reported.     

Biodegradation of Di-n-Butyl Phthalate by a Newly Isolated Halotolerant Sphingobium sp.

A Gram-negative strain (TJ) capable of growing aerobically on mixed phthalate esters (PAEs) as the sole carbon and energy source was isolated from the Haihe estuary, Tianjin, China. It was identified as belonging to the Sphingobium genus on the basis of morphological and physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA and gyrb gene sequencing. The batch tests for biodegradation of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) by the Sphingobium sp. TJ showed that the optimum conditions were 30 °C, pH 7.0, and the absence of NaCl. Stain TJ could tolerate up to 4% NaCl in minimal salt medium supplemented with DBP, although the DBP degradation rates slowed as NaCl concentration increased. In addition, substrate tests showed that strain TJ could utilize shorter side-chained PAEs, such as dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate, but could not metabolize long-chained PAEs, such as di-n-octyl phthalate, diisooctyl phthalate, and di-(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the biodegradation characteristics of DBP by a member of the Sphingobium genus.     

Isolation and Heterologous Expression of a Polygalacturonase Produced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Race 1 and 4

Fusarium wilt (Panama disease) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC) represents a significant threat to banana (Musa spp.) production. Musa AAB is susceptible to Race 1 (FOC1) and Race 4 (FOC4), while Cavendish Musa AAA is found to be resistant to FOC1 but still susceptible to Race 4. A polygalacturonase (PGC3) was purified from the supernatant of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (FOC4), which is the pathogen of Fusarium wilt. PGC3 had an apparent molecular weight of 45 kDa according to SDS-PAGE. The enzyme hydrolyzed polygalacturonic acid in an exo-manner, as demonstrated by analysis of degradation products. The K_m and V_max values of PGC3 from FOC4 were determined to be 0.70 mg·mL⁻¹ and 101.01 Units·mg·protein⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively. Two pgc3 genes encoding PGC3 from FOC4 and FOC1, both genes of 1368 bp in length encode 456 amino-acid residues with a predicted signal peptide sequence of 21 amino acids. There are 16 nucleotide sites difference between FOC4-pgc3 and FOC1-pgc3, only leading to four amino acid residues difference. In order to obtain adequate amounts of protein required for functional studies, two genes were cloned into the expression vector pPICZaA and then expressed in Pichia pastoris strains of SMD1168. The recombinant PGC3, r-FOC1-PGC3 and r-FOC4-PGC3, were expressed and purified as active proteins. The optimal PGC3 activity was observed at 50 °C and pH 4.5. Both recombinant PGC3 retained >40% activity at pH 3–7 and >50% activity in 10–50 °C. Both recombinant PGC3 proteins could induce a response but with different levels of tissue maceration and necrosis in banana plants. In sum, our results indicate that PGC3 is an exo-PG and can be produced with full function in P. pastoris.     

Separation and Purification of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Newly Isolated Comamonas sp. EB172 by Simple Digestion with Sodium Hydroxide

A simple, mild, and effective process for the recovery of intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoate from a newly isolated gram-negative wild-type bacteria Comamonas sp. EB172 was developed using sodium hydroxide. Various parameters such as sodium hydroxide concentration, digestion time, and temperature were examined for their effect on polyhydroxyalkanoate recovery. The results showed that polyhydroxyalkanoate with 88.6% purity and 96.8% recovery yield were obtained by incubating the dried cells with 0.05 M sodium hydroxide at 4°C for 1 h, followed by purification steps using ethanol and water. Removal of non-polymeric cellular materials from the Comamonas sp. EB172 was increased under alkaline solution as a result of enhanced cell wall permeability. In addition, the presence of glycerol in the polymer suspension proved that saponification of the lipid layer in the bacterial cell wall occurred due to sodium hydroxide reaction.     

Determination of Semivolatile and Particulate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in SRM 1649a and PM 2.5 Samples by HPLC-Fluorescence

The concentrations of 15 "priority pollutant" semivolatile and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in three sets of samples supplied by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of an interlaboratory analytical exercise. The purpose of the exercise, organized by NIST and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was to determine the comparability of measurements for various organic analytes among the participating laboratories, and to establish consensus values for SRM 1649a and interim materials. The commercially available SRM 1649a Atmospheric Urban Dust and two subsamples of this popular reference material were analyzed: an extract designated as Air Particulate Extract, and a resieved portion labeled Air Particulate I. The method used in our laboratory for the exercise consists of the extraction of the PAHs from the solid samples by ultrasonication, followed by separation and quantification using high-performance liquid chromatographyfluorescence detection. The accuracy and precision of the results obtained by our analytical protocol and by 14 other participating laboratories were evaluated using the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry guidelines of z-scores ( = 25% of the exercise assigned value) and p -scores. Using these guidelines the accuracy of our method provided results that are satisfactory for all 15 target PAHs (|z| h 2) determined in the Air Particulate Extract and, except for fluorene, in the Air Particulate I sample. Finally, application of the methodology is demonstrated for the quantification of PAHs present at the pg m m 3 range in PM 2.5 samples collected from 163 m 3 of air in the Los Angeles basin.     

微生物短杆菌(Brevibacterium sp.)选择性降解制备(R)-扁桃酸

以外消旋扁桃酸为底物,筛选出一株短杆菌Brevibacterium sp. CCSYU 10011,该菌能转化外消旋扁桃酸为(R)-扁桃酸. 用全细胞转化法研究发现,其转化过程是不对称降解过程,即选择性降解了(S)-扁桃酸,进而获得(R)-扁桃酸. 考察了温度、pH、底物浓度及细胞量等因素对(S)-扁桃酸降解的影响,转化结束后,收率为48.7%,对映体过量值(e.e.)可达99%.     

Biodegradation and Metabolic Pathway of 17β-Estradiol by Rhodococcus sp. ED55

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the environment are considered a motif of concern, due to the widespread occurrence and potential adverse ecological and human health effects. The natural estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2), is frequently detected in receiving water bodies after not being efficiently removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), promoting a negative impact for both the aquatic ecosystem and human health. In this study, the biodegradation of E2 by Rhodococcus sp. ED55, a bacterial strain isolated from sediments of a discharge point of WWTP in Coloane, Macau, was investigated. Rhodococcus sp. ED55 was able to completely degrade 5 mg/L of E2 in 4 h in a synthetic medium. A similar degradation pattern was observed when the bacterial strain was used in wastewater collected from a WWTP, where a significant improvement in the degradation of the compound occurred. The detection and identification of 17 metabolites was achieved by means of UPLC/ESI/HRMS, which proposed a degradation pathway of E2. The acute test with luminescent marine bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri revealed the elimination of the toxicity of the treated effluent and the standardized yeast estrogenic (S-YES) assay with the recombinant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed a decrease in the estrogenic activity of wastewater samples after biodegradation.     

拟无枝菌酸菌M3-1降解丙酯草醚的特性及应用初探

丙酯草醚是我国自主研制的一种新型高效油菜田除草剂。采用现代分子生物技术和微生物学传统方法从长期施用嘧啶水杨酸类除草剂的农田中富集、筛选出以丙酯草醚为唯一碳源生长的高效降解菌株M3-1,并对其最适降解条件及在土壤中的应用进行研究。结果表明:(1)经形态、生理生化和16S rDNA鉴定,M3-1属于拟无枝菌酸菌(Amycolatopsis sp.)。(2)最适温度为35℃,pH为6.0,接种量为8%,在底物(ZJ0273)浓度为100～400 mg.L.1均具有一定的降解效果,且降解率随底物浓度的增加而降低,浓度高于300 mg.L.1时,对M3-1的降解效果有较强的抑制作用。(3)最适降解条件下,水溶液中培养25 d对浓度为100 mg.L.1丙酯草醚的降解率可达63.3%。(4)M3-1在土壤中对ZJ0273有很好的去除效果,处理25 d,其降解率可达53.7%。     

Degradation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by a sequential treatment with nanoscale zero valent iron and aerobic biodegradation

BACKGROUND: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are emerging persistent organic pollutants. Degradation of PBDEs is a significant challenge owing to their extreme persistence and recalcitrance nature. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a sequential nano‐bio treatment using nanoscale zero‐valent iron (nZVI) and diphenyl ether degrading bacteria Sphingomonas sp. PH‐07 for degradation of PBDEs. RESULTS: In the bacterial tolerance test for determining the maximum endurable concentration of nZVI, the PH‐07 strain was able to grow in the presence of nZVI up to 5 g L^?1 in minimal salt medium by using non‐brominated diphenyl ether as growth substrate. Reductive debromination of decabrominated diphenyl ether (deca‐BDE; 1 mg) with nZVI (100 mg per vial) resulted in a 67% reduction of deca‐BDE and produced various intermediates ranging from nona‐BDEs to tri‐BDEs during a 20 day period. Additional experiments with 2,4,4′‐tri‐BDE and 2,4,6‐tri‐BDE as initial substrates revealed that both tri‐BDEs were further debrominated to mono‐BDEs. Following the reductive debromination process, reaction mixtures were aerobically treated with DE‐grown Sphingomonas sp. PH‐07 strain to mineralize the low brominated‐DEs (tri‐BDEs—mono‐BDEs) for additional 4 days. During bacterial treatment, the low brominated‐DEs were biologically degraded to bromophenols and other prospective metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: The nZVI‐biological sequential treatment method was found to be effective for degradation of PBDEs through reductive debromination followed by biological oxidation. This hybrid treatment method may lead to the development of a remediation strategy for highly halogenated environmental pollutants in contaminated sites. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

cDNA Transcriptome of Arabidopsis Reveals Various Defense Priming Induced by a Broad-Spectrum Biocontrol Agent Burkholderia sp. SSG

Burkholderia sp. SSG is a potent biological control agent. Even though its survival on the leaf surface declined rapidly, SSG provided extended, moderate plant protection from a broad spectrum of pathogens. This study used Arabidopsis Col-0 and its mutants, eds16-1, npr1-1, and pad4-1 as model plants and compared treated plants with non-treated controls to elucidate whether SSG triggers plant defense priming. Only eds16-1 leaves with SSG became purplish, suggesting the involvement of salicylic acid (SA) in SSG-induced priming. cDNA sequencing of Col-0 plants and differential gene expression analysis identified 120 and 119 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 6- and 24-h post-treatment (hpt) with SSG, respectively. Most of these DEGs encoded responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli or stresses; four DEGs had more than two isoforms. A total of 23 DEGs were shared at 6 and 24 hpt, showing four regulation patterns. Functional categorization of these shared DEGs, and 44 very significantly upregulated DEGs revealed that SSG triggered various defense priming mechanisms, including responses to phosphate or iron deficiency, modulation of defense-linked SA, jasmonic acid, ethylene, and abscisic acid pathways, defense-related gene regulation, and chromatin modification. These data support that SSG is an induced systemic resistance (ISR) trigger conferring plant protection upon pathogen encounter.     

Production of a halotolerant lipase from Halomonas sp. strain C2SS100: Optimization by response-surface methodology and application in detergent formulations

The aim of this work was to optimize the production of a new lipase by a halotolerant bacterial strain Halomonas sp. C2SS100, by means of the response-surface methodology (RSM). The process parameters having the most significant effect on lipase production were identified using the Plackett–Burman screening design-of-experiments. Then, Box–Behnken design was applied to optimize lipase activity and the quadratic regression model of the lipase production was built. Indeed, the lipase yield was increased, and the value obtained experimentally (39 ± 2 U/ml) was very close to the rate predicted by the model (40.3 U/ml). Likewise, optimization of parameters by RSM resulted in 2.78-fold increase in lipase activity. These findings provide the first report on lipase production and optimization by a halotolerant bacterial strain belonging to Halomonas genus. Afterward, the biochemical properties of the produced lipase were studied for apply in oil stains removal. The crude lipase showed a maximum activity at 60°C and at pH ranging from 7 to 10. It displayed an important stability at high temperature, pH, and NaCl. Interestingly, this bacterial lipase exhibited a prominent stability toward some commercial solid and liquid detergents after 30 min of incubation at 50°C. The capability of the crude lipase to eliminate stain was ascertained on polycotton fabric pieces stained with lubricating oil. Whether with the addition of hot water alone or of a commercially available detergent, lipase is able to considerably boost the elimination of oil stains. The actual findings highlight the capacity of Halomonas sp. lipase for energy-efficient biocatalytic application.     

Aluminum nanopowders produced by electrical explosion of wires and passivated by non-inert coatings: Characterisation and reactivity with air and water

Results of the comprehensive characterisation of electro-exploded aluminum nanopowders, passivated with the non-inert reagents: oleic acid (C₁₇H₃₃COOH) and stearic acid (C₁₇H₃₅COOH), which were suspended in kerosene and ethanol, amorphous boron, nickel, fluoropolymer and Al₂O₃ (for a comparison), are discussed. Aluminum nanopowders with a protecting surface show increased stability towards oxidation in air and in water during the storage period. On the basis of the experimental results, a diagram of the formation and stabilization of the coatings is proposed.