Isolation and molecular characterization of biosurfactant producing yeasts from the soil samples contaminated with petroleum derivatives

Abstract

In this study, 65 yeast strains were isolated from different environmental samples contaminated with various petroleum hydrocarbons such as activated sludges and soil samples from automobile workshops. The yeast isolates were tested for biosurfactant production using various screening methods such as parafilm M test, oil displacement assay, drop collapse assay, determination of surface tension reduction, and emulsification index. Nineteen of the isolates were found positive for biosurfactant production and their molecular characterizations were carried out by sequencing analysis of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and D1/D2 domain of 26S rDNA. The results indicated that these strains were from a wide range of yeast genera including Rhodotorula, Candida, Yarrowia, Geotrichum, Galactomyces, and Cystobasidium. The studies to determine the emulsification index revealed that the biosurfactants produced by Yarrowia lipolytica strains (TEMGS33, TEMOS12, and TEMOS14) and Apiotrichum loubieri strain (TEMOS16) were the most potent and capable of forming stable emulsions with emulsion index (E ) up to 68%. In addition, quantitative measurements of the surface tension reduction of the biosurfactants produced by these strains were carried out by Du Noüy ring method. Biosurfactants produced from Yarrowia lipolytica strain TEMGS33 and Apiotrichum loubieri strain TEMOS16 gave the best results reducing the surface tension to 34.7 ± 1.15 and 35.3 ± 0.55 mN m , respectively. Based on these data, biosurfactants from Yarrawia lipolytica strains (TEMGS33, TEMOS12, and TEMOS14) and Apiotrichum loubieri strain (TEMOS16) showed promising results and might be implemented in numerous industrial fields such as bioremediation and food industry.

An efficient method for production of kynurenic acid by Yarrowia lipolytica

“…The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is able to produce KYNA. It should be pointed out that Y. lipolytica is an unconventional yeast, serving as a biotechnological tool, which can be used for the production of different important compounds such as organic acids (Kamzolova & Morgunov, 2018; Rakicka, Wolniak, Lazar, & Rymowicz, 2019; Rywińska, Juszczyk, Wojtatowicz, & Rymowicz, 2011), polyols (Mirończuk, Biegalska, & Dobrowolski, 2017; Mirończuk, Dobrowolski, Rakicka, Rywińska, & Rymowicz, 2015; Rakicka, Biegalska, Dobrowolski, Rymowicz, & Mirończuk, 2017), biosurfactants (Yalçın, Ergin‐Tepebaşı, & Uyar, 2018), carotenoids (Soong, Liu, Yoon, Lawton, & Xie, 2019), single‐cell oils (Dobrowolski, Mituła, Rymowicz, & Mirończuk, 2016), single‐cell protein (Juszczyk, Rymowicz, Kita, & Rywińska, 2019; Juszczyk, Tomaszewska, Kita, & Rymowicz, 2013) and enzymes (Magdouli, Guedri, Tarek, Brar, & Blais, 2017).…”

Fungal biosurfactants, from nature to biotechnological product: bioprospection, production and potential applications

“…After selecting the producing strain, the fungal strain must be essentially identified from their genetic sequencing through the region of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) [ 151 , 168 ]. The results should be compared with similar strains of the type of different species within the genus through multiple sequence alignment, ensuring unambiguous identification of the inoculum [ 168 ].…”

“…Although cultivable microorganisms represent less than 1% of the diversity of known microbial species [ 149 ], the bioprospecting of fungal strains by culture-dependent technique has enabled the discovery of new biosurfactant-producing strains [ 147 ] as well as novel biosurfactant structures [ 150 ]. Biosurfactant-producing fungi were isolated from hydrocarbon/petroleum contaminated soil samples [ 151 ], plant structures such as roots [ 40 ], stems [ 147 ], leaves [ 147 ], cones [ 152 ], flowers [ 150 ], fruits [ 153 ]; and animals such as porifers [ 43 ] and arthropods [ 154 ].…”

Diversity and Oil Degradation Potential of Culturable Microbes Isolated from Chronically Contaminated Soils in Trinidad

“…Rhodotorula is a commonly isolated yeast from oil-contaminated environments [6,133]. In a recent study by Mikolasch et al [134], Rhodotorula was isolated from oil-contaminated soils using a variety of hydrocarbons and could break down cyclohexanone.…”

“…Rhodotorula and Cryptococcus were found to catabolize benzene compounds [131] and are potent degraders of diesel oil, utilizing a range of enzymes including aminopyrine-N-demethylase, alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, catalase, and glutathione S transferase. The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases were especially important to diesel oil degradation [138], and isolates of these genera from petroleum-contaminated environments could produce secreted lipases [133].…”