Topic
Microbial biodegradation
About: Microbial biodegradation is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1647 publications have been published within this topic receiving 75473 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
••
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the effect of NO3−amended soils on lignin degradation in a mature northern hardwood forest in northern Michigan, which has received experimental atmospheric N deposition (30 kg−NO3−1 y−1) for nine years.
Abstract: Human activity has increased the amount of N entering terrestrial ecosystems from atmospheric NO3− deposition. High levels of inorganic N are known to suppress the expression of phenol oxidase, an important lignin-degrading enzyme produced by white-rot fungi. We hypothesized that chronic NO3− additions would decrease the flow of C through the heterotrophic soil food web by inhibiting phenol oxidase and the depolymerization of lignocellulose. This would likely reduce the availability of C from lignocellulose for metabolism by the microbial community. We tested this hypothesis in a mature northern hardwood forest in northern Michigan, which has received experimental atmospheric N deposition (30 kg NO3−–N ha−1 y−1) for nine years. In a laboratory study, we amended soils with 13C-labeled vanillin, a monophenolic product of lignin depolymerization, and 13C-labeled cellobiose, a disaccharide product of cellulose degradation. We then traced the flow of 13C through the microbial community and into soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and microbial respiration. We simultaneously measured the activity of enzymes responsible for lignin (phenol oxidase and peroxidase) and cellobiose (β-glucosidase) degradation. Nitrogen deposition reduced phenol oxidase activity by 83% and peroxidase activity by 74% when compared to control soils. In addition, soil C increased by 76%, whereas microbial biomass decreased by 68% in NO3− amended soils. 13C cellobiose in bacterial or fungal PLFAs was unaffected by NO3− deposition; however, the incorporation of 13C vanillin in fungal PLFAs extracted from NO3− amended soil was 82% higher than in the control treatment. The recovery of 13C vanillin and 13C cellobiose in SOC, DOC, microbial biomass, and respiration was not different between control and NO3− amended treatments. Chronic NO3− deposition has stemmed the flow of C through the heterotrophic soil food web by inhibiting the activity of ligninolytic enzymes, but it increased the assimilation of vanillin into fungal PLFAs.
163 citations
••
TL;DR: For persistent compounds including polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and DDT, anaerobic processes are slow for remedial application, but can be a significant long-term avenue for natural attenuation.
Abstract: Xenobiotic biodegradation under anaerobic conditions such as in groundwater, sediment, landfill, sludge digesters and bioreactors has gained increasing attention over the last two decades. This review gives a broad overview of our current understanding of and recent advances in anaerobic biodegradation of five selected groups of xenobiotic compounds (petroleum hydrocarbons and fuel additives, nitroaromatic compounds and explosives, chlorinated aliphatic and aromatic compounds, pesticides, and surfactants). Significant advances have been made toward the isolation of bacterial cultures, elucidation of biochemical mechanisms, and laboratory and field scale applications for xenobiotic removal. For certain highly chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g., tetrachlorethylene), anaerobic processes cannot be easily substituted with current aerobic processes. For petroleum hydrocarbons, although aerobic processes are generally used, anaerobic biodegradation is significant under certain circumstances (e.g., O2-depleted aquifers, oil spilled in marshes). For persistent compounds including polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and DDT, anaerobic processes are slow for remedial application, but can be a significant long-term avenue for natural attenuation. In some cases, a sequential anaerobic-aerobic strategy is needed for total destruction of xenobiotic compounds. Several points for future research are also presented in this review.
163 citations
••
TL;DR: The results revealed significant biodegradation along the groundwater flow path, and the constant isotope values of indane and indene indicated that microbial degradation did not lead to isotope fractionation of all aromatic hydrocarbons.
162 citations
••
TL;DR: The objective is to isolate and characterize an efficient hydrocarbon‐degrading bacterium under hypersaline conditions, from a Tunisian off‐shore oil field.
Abstract: Aims: To isolate and characterize an efficient hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium under hypersaline conditions, from a Tunisian off-shore oil field.
Methods and Results: Production water collected from ‘Sercina’ petroleum reservoir, located near the Kerkennah island, Tunisia, was used for the screening of halotolerant or halophilic bacteria able to degrade crude oil. Bacterial strain C2SS100 was isolated after enrichment on crude oil, in the presence of 100 g l−1 NaCl and at 37°C. This strain was aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, oxidase + and catalase +. Phenotypic characters and phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene of the isolate C2SS100 showed that it was related to members of the Halomonas genus. The degradation of several compounds present in crude oil was confirmed by GC–MS analysis. The use of refined petroleum products such as diesel fuel and lubricating oil as sole carbon source, under the same conditions of temperature and salinity, showed that significant amounts of these heterogenic compounds could be degraded. Strain C2SS100 was able to degrade hexadecane (C16). During growth on hexadecane, cells surface hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity increased indicating the production of biosurfactant by strain C2SS100.
Conclusions: A halotolerant bacterial strain Halomonas sp. C2SS100 was isolated from production water of an oil field, after enrichment on crude oil. This strain is able to degrade hydrocarbons efficiently. The mode of hydrocarbon uptake is realized by the production of a biosurfactant which enhances the solubility of hydrocarbons and renders them more accessible for biodegradation.
Significance and Impact of the Study: The biodegradation potential of the Halomonas sp. strain C2SS100 gives it an advantage for possibly application on bioremediation of water, hydrocarbon-contaminated sites under high-salinity level.
161 citations
••
TL;DR: This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the microbiology of estrogen biodegradation and proposes future research efforts aimed at bridging knowledge gaps.
161 citations