Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans sp. nov., to accommodate the phenanthrene-degrading bacterium Arthrobacter sp. strain Sphe3

Abstract

A novel phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, designated strain Sphe3 T , was isolated from a creosote-contaminated soil in Greece. Cells were non-motile, Gram-positive, aerobic, and rod-to coccus-shaped. The strain was isolated on the basis of formation of a clear zone on agar plates sprayed with phenanthrene. Optimal growth occurred at 30 6C. The G+C content of the DNA was 65.7 mol%. The polar lipid pattern of strain Sphe3 T consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The dominant fatty acids were iso-C 15 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 0 , iso-C 16 : 0 , C 16 : 0 and anteiso-C 17 : 0 , representing .86 % of the total fatty acids. The predominant isoprenoid quinone of strain Sphe3 T was menaquinone-8 (MK-8). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain Sphe3 T showed 99 and 98.9 % similarity to the type strains of Arthrobacter oxydans and Arthrobacter polychromogenes, respectively. Strain Sphe3 T showed 91 % similarity to homologues of A. oxydans and A. polychromogenes based on recA gene sequence analysis. Based on 16S rRNA and recA gene sequence analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization analysis, as well as physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, it is concluded that strain Sphe3 T represents a novel species of the genus Arthrobacter, for which the name Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Sphe3 T (5DSM 18606 T 5LMG 23796 T ).Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants that are found in many polluted soils as a result of natural or industrial activities, including those of creosote wood-treatment facilities (Mueller et al., 1989). PAHs have attracted considerable attention because of their potential toxicity for higher organisms and resistance to microbial degradation (Kanaly & Harayama, 2000). A wide range of micro-organisms have been discovered that are able to degrade highly stable, toxic organic compounds such as polycyclic and aliphatic hydrocarbons (Habe & Omori, 2003;Kanaly & Harayama, 2000;Van Hamme et al., 2003). Among these micro-organisms, several Arthrobacter species are able to degrade PAHs (Grifoll et al., 1992;Seo et al., 2006). We have previously reported the phenanthrene uptake activity and membrane lipid alterations of a PAH-degrading Arthrobacter strain, Sphe3, isolated from a creosote-contaminated soil in Greece (Kallimanis et al., 2007). In the present study, on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and recA gene sequences, together with physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization analysis, we demonstrate that strain Sphe3 represents a novel species of the genus Arthrobacter.Strain Sphe3 T was isolated from Perivleptos, a creosotepolluted site in Epirus, Greece (12 km north of the city of Ioannina), in which a wood-preserving industry had operated for over 30 years (Kallimanis et al., 2007). Soil samples (10 g) were mixed with 100 ml of minimal medium M9 (Sambrook et al., 1989) supplemented with 0.01 % (w/v) phenanthrene (in crystal form) as the sole ca...

Review of the taxonomy of the genus Arthrobacter, emendation of the genus Arthrobacter sensu lato, proposal to reclassify selected species of the genus Arthrobacter in the novel genera Glutamicibacter gen. nov., Paeniglutamicibacter gen. nov., Pseudoglutamicibacter gen. nov., Paenarthrobacter gen. nov. and Pseudarthrobacter gen. nov., and emended description of Arthrobacter roseus

“…They are composed of a combination of monosaturated and completely unsaturated menaquinones that also differ in the length of the isoprenoic side chains. A. scleromae was reported to contain MK-8(H 2 ) and MK-10 (Huang et al, 2005), whereas A. phenanthrenivorans contains MK-8 and MK-9(H 2 ) (Kallimanis et al, 2009). Combinations of completely unsaturated and monosaturated quinones are well known among the class Actinobacteria, but they usually share the same length of isoprenoic side chain.…”

Heterologous Expression and Characterization of Two 1-Hydroxy-2-Naphthoic Acid Dioxygenases from Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans

“…A. phenanthrenivorans strain Sphe3 was isolated from a creosote-polluted area in Epirus, Greece (12 km north of the city of Ioannina), as described previously (20). M9 minimal medium (MM M9) was supplemented with 0.02% (wt/vol) phenanthrene or 0.04% (wt/vol) glucose as described previously (22).…”

“…In the present work, we describe the purification, catalytic properties, cloning, and characterization of two 1-H2NA dioxygenases isolated from A. phenanthrenivorans sp. nov. (20).…”

Identification and characterization of a mycobacterial NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase with superior reduction of diacetyl to (S)-acetoin

“…18,19) A. phenanthrenivorans has been isolated from creosotecontaminated soil and can metabolize phenanthrene as its sole carbon and energy source. 20) S. coelicolor is a soil-dwelling, filamentous bacterium that produces various antibiotics. 21) Nakamurella multipartita is a polysaccharide-accumulating organism that lives in activated sludge.…”