A phenanthrene-degrading endophytic bacterium, Pn2, was isolated from Alopecurus aequalis Sobol grown in soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Based on morphology, physiological characteristics and the 16S rRNA gene sequence, it was identified as Massilia sp. Strain Pn2 could degrade more than 95% of the phenanthrene (150 mg·L−1) in a minimal salts medium (MSM) within 48 hours at an initial pH of 7.0 and a temperature of 30°C. Pn2 could grow well on the MSM plates with a series of other PAHs, including naphthalene, acenaphthene, anthracene and pyrene, and degrade them to different degrees. Pn2 could also colonize the root surface of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam), invade its internal root tissues and translocate into the plant shoot. When treated with the endophyte Pn2 under hydroponic growth conditions with 2 mg·L−1 of phenanthrene in the Hoagland solution, the phenanthrene concentrations in ryegrass roots and shoots were reduced by 54% and 57%, respectively, compared with the endophyte-free treatment. Strain Pn2 could be a novel and useful bacterial resource for eliminating plant PAH contamination in polluted environments by degrading the PAHs inside plants. Furthermore, we provide new perspectives on the control of the plant uptake of PAHs via endophytic bacteria.

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Plant organic contamination poses a serious threat to the safety of agricultural products and human health worldwide, and the association of endophytic bacteria with host plants may decrease organic pollutants in planta. In this study, we firstly determined the growth response and biofilm formation of endophytic Pseudomonas sp. Ph6-gfp, and then systematically evaluated the performance of different plant colonization methods (seed soaking (SS), root soaking (RS), leaf painting (LP)) for circumventing the risk of plant phenanthrene (PHE) contamination. After inoculation for 48 h, strain Ph6-gfp grew efficiently with PHE, oxalic acid, or malic acid as the sole sources of carbon and energy. Moreover, strain Ph6-gfp could form robust biofilms in LB medium. In greenhouse hydroponic experiments, strain Ph6-gfp could actively colonize inoculated plants internally, and plants colonized with Ph6-gfp showed a higher capacity for PHE removal. Compared with the Ph6-gfp-free treatment, the accumulations of PHE in Ph6-gfp-colonized plants via SS, RS, and LP were 20.1, 33.1, and 7.1 %, respectively, lower. Our results indicate that inoculating plants with Ph6-gfp could lower the risk of plant PHE contamination. RS was most efficient for improving PHE removal in whole plant bodies by increasing the cell numbers of Ph6-gfp in plant roots. The findings in this study provide an optimized method to strain Ph6-gfp reduce plant PAH residues, which may be applied to agricultural production in PAH-contaminated soil.

Exolaccase-propelled humification (E-PH) helps eliminate phenolic pollutants and produce macromolecular precipitates. Herein, we investigated the influencing mechanism of 12 humic precursors (HPs) on exolaccase-enabled bisphenol A (BPA) decontamination and humification. Catechol, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, and gentian acid not only expedited BPA removal but also created large amounts of copolymeric precipitates. These precipitates had rich functional groups similar to natural humic substances, which presented great aromatic and acidic characteristics. The releasing amounts of BPA monomer from four precipitates were 0.08−12.87% at pH 2.0−11.0, suggesting that BPA-HP copolymers had pH stability. More excitingly, certain copolymeric precipitates could stimulate the growth and development of radish seedlings. The radish growth-promotion mechanisms of copolymers were involved in two aspects: (1) Copolymers interacted with root exudates to accelerate nutrient uptake; (2) Copolymers released auxins to provoke radish growth. These results may provide an innovative strategy for decontaminating phenolic pollutants and yielding humic-like biostimulants in E-PH.

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