Hydrocarbon-degrading potential of microbial communities from Arctic plants

Abstract

Aims To explore rhizospheric microbial communities from Arctic native plant species evaluating their bacterial hydrocarbon‐degrading capacities. Methods and Results Eriophorum scheuchzeri, Potentilla cf. rubricaulis, Oxyria digyna, Salix arctica and Puccinellia angustata plant species were collected at Eureka (Canadian high Arctic) along with their rhizospheric soil samples. Their bacterial community fingerprints (16S rRNA gene, DGGE) were distinctive encompassing members from the phyla: Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Isolated diesel‐degrading bacteria belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Strains of Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, Intrasporangiaceae, Leifsoni and Arthrobacter possessed alkB and Pseudomonas possessed both ndoB and xylE gene sequences. Two Rhodococcus strains mineralized [1‐14C] hexadecane at 5 and −5°C. From the rhizosphere of P. angustata, larger numbers of hydrocarbon‐degrading bacteria were isolated than from other plant rhizosphere samples and all three genes alkB (from Actinobacteria), ndoB and xylE (from Pseudomonas) were detected by PCR. Conclusions (i) Arctic plants have unique rhizospheric bacterial communities. (ii) P. angustata has potential for phytoremediation research at high Arctic soils. (iii) Isolated bacteria mineralized hydrocarbons at ambient low temperatures. Significance and Impact of the Study To the best of our knowledge, this is the first rhizospheric exploration examining the phytoremediation potential of five Arctic plants and evaluating their microbial hydrocarbon‐degrading capacities.

Halophyte plant colonization as a driver of the composition of bacterial communities in salt marshes chronically exposed to oil hydrocarbons

“…The halophyte exudates provide oxygen and high-quality sources of carbon and energy for bacterial growth (Bagwell et al, 1998). Members of the phylum Actinobacteria capable of degrading hydrocarbons were isolated from Artic native plant species (Ferrera-Rodr ıguez et al, 2013). As previously mentioned, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were more abundant in rhizospheres than bulk sediment and the oxic conditions around the roots may explain a lower relative abundance of Desulfobacterales, and consequently Deltaproteobacteria, in relation to bulk sediment (Fig.…”

“…Acidimicrobiales members have been considered to be responsive to changes in soil pH (Lauber et al, 2009). Members of the phylum Actinobacteria capable of degrading hydrocarbons were isolated from Artic native plant species (Ferrera-Rodr ıguez et al, 2013). The rhizosphere of S. perennis ssp.…”

Coupling chemical oxidation and biostimulation: Effects on the natural attenuation capacity and resilience of the native microbial community in alkylbenzene-polluted soil

“…The increased alkB gene copies could be a suitable indicator of the recovery [53,54], although the increase in these gene copies refers to the ability or potential to degrade alkyl groups by these communities, and cannot be taken as a proof of LAB degradation itself. It is also remarkable that the detection of this gene is still in need of optimisation, because of its high variability [26].…”

A mineralogical characterization of biogenic calcium carbonates precipitated by heterotrophic bacteria isolated from cryophilic polar regions

“…All of the isolates used in this study are polar heterotrophic microbes isolated from active layer or permafrost soil in the Canadian High Arctic (Steven et al, 2007;Ferrera-Rodr ıguez et al, 2012) or Antarctic permafrost and cryptoendoliths (J. Goordial & L. G. Whyte, unpublished data). A culture collection (~300 isolates) was screened for the ability to precipitate calcium carbonate crystals.…”