Indigenous PAH-degrading bacteria in oil-polluted marine sediments from Patagonia: Diversity and biotechnological properties

Abstract

The diversity of indigenous bacteria recovered from polluted sediment samples from several coasts of Patagonia is described in this chapter. Selective enrichment cultures supplemented with naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene allowed isolation of bacteria with the capability to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Bacterial communities of different composition (analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) showed changes along with enrichment culture conditions. The ability of isolates to grow and remove different low and high molecular weight PAHs was demonstrated by detection of the residual substrate by HPLC. The presence and differential expression of naphthalene and catechol dioxygenase genes in several isolates suggest biodegradation potential in these sediments. Successful bacterial isolation with the ability to degrade PAH in pure and mixed cultures allows discussing the possibility to study and to further consider strategies to increase the intrinsic bioremediation opportunities on polluted coasts of Patagonia. Other biotechnological properties are also considered in this chapter, such as biosurfactant production and other biotransformations.