Authors: Bibiana M Coppotelli Agustin Ibarrolaza Romina L Dias Maria T Del Panno Luise BertheCorti Irma S Morelli
Publish Date: 2009/07/17
Volume: 59, Issue: 2, Pages: 266-276
Abstract
The present study describes the phenanthrenedegrading activity of Sphingomonas paucimobilis 20006FA and its ability to promote the bioavailability of phenanthrene S paucimobilis 20006FA was isolated from a phenanthrenecontaminated soil microcosm The strain was able to grow in liquid mineral medium saturated with phenanthrene as the sole carbon source showing high phenanthrene elimination 529 of the supplied phenanthrene within 20 days The accumulation of 1hydroxy2naphthoic acid and salicylic acid as major phenanthrene metabolites and the capacity of the strain to grow with sodium salicylate as the sole source of carbon and energy indicated that the S paucimobilis 20006FA possesses a complete phenanthrene degradation pathway However under the studied conditions the strain was able to mineralize only the 10 of the consumed phenanthrene Investigations on the cell ability to promote bioavailability of phenanthrene showed that the S paucimobilis strain 20006FA exhibited low cell hydrophobicity 013 a pronounced chemotaxis toward phenanthrene and it was able to reduce the surface tension of mineral liquid medium supplemented with phenanthrene as sole carbon source Scanning electron micrographs revealed that 1 in suspension cultures cells formed flocks and showed small vesicles on the cell surface and 2 cells were also able to adhere to phenanthrene crystals and to produce biofilms Clearly the strain seems to exhibit two different mechanisms to enhance phenanthrene bioavailability biosurfactant production and adhesion to the phenanthrene crystalsWe thank Dipl Ing Reiner Hulsch for his help with the bioreactors and Ms Kort and Dr Rhiel for their help in performing SEM analysis This work was supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica PICT2006884 and a DAAD scholar ship for Ms Bibiana Coppotelli Coppotelli B is postdoctoral fellow of CONICET Ibarrolaza A is doctoral fellow of CONICET and Dias R is a doctoral fellow of CICPBA
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